


Savin' Me

by hunter_king



Category: Original Work
Genre: Biting, Blood Drinking, F/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 22:06:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16127705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunter_king/pseuds/hunter_king
Summary: A newly sired vampire barely escapes death when an elder vampire vouches for her. She never wanted to be a vampire. It's not fair to kill her. He is given one month to make her a useful part of the coven. If he fails, Mackenzie will be killed as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to give a huge thank you to my beta Jess for being so amazing! The fic wouldn't be nearly as pretty as it is without her! Thank you so much! <3

The room wasn't big enough to hold this many bodies. He'd said it before and he'd say it again, if they ever had another meeting that involved ritualistic bullshit he was out. Every time something like this happened, he tried to get out of it, but the council always overruled him. For some reason, they valued his opinion and thought he needed to be present. Why? He had no fucking idea. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his maker, Natalia, was on the council board and she wanted him to take his rightful place by her side. But that day was over and done with. Whatever relationship they could have had was ruined that day. He just couldn't forget it no matter how hard he tried. And days like this only made it that much worse.

There are rules that needed to be followed in this clan. One of those were that humans were not to be turned without explicit permission from the council. The risk was too great. Newborns were irrational and hard to control – the bloodlust got the best of them more often than not. Of course, if newborns weren't made at all, their race would die out. No one wanted that to happen either, so there was the occasional exception. And he'd done everything right – went to the council and asked for permission to make a new child. He'd gotten the green light because of the way he'd felt about the girl, and he thanked them profusely for waiving the rule and letting this happen.

Nick remembered it like it had been yesterday, although several years had passed since then. He just didn't understand how things had gone downhill so quickly. Anger caused his blood to boil! He couldn't help but remind his oldest friend just exactly why he hated these things! And he hoped it would get him off his back about getting out there again. Nick didn't want to get out there again. He wasn't interested in a relationship with a human again and he sure as hell wasn't making any newborns. The council would probably laugh in his face if he even suggested it. And the pickings of vampire women he was interested in were slim to none.

Honestly, Nick never paid attention to these stupid things. He showed up, albeit against his will, but that didn't mean he actually knew what was going on. Instead, he sat there with his eyes glued to anything but the front of the room and thought about better days. There had been a time when hunters weren't constantly tracking them down and ruthlessly killing them. Those were better in his opinion. Hell, sometimes he wished that he could go back to the days before he had been tamed as his friends liked to call it. Back then, he hadn't had any emotions to worry about. They'd just been dormant inside the monster. Until she came into his life. Madison – she'd turned his world upside down.

So yeah, Nick hated these things. Everything about them, really. He didn't agree with killing their own kind because there weren't many of them left. Sure, when they broke the rules there needed to be consequences – he got that part. But death was just so...cruel. And what if the person was innocent? Like Madison had been? He just didn't agree with any of this. Quite honestly, he didn't even pay attention when these things were going on. Something about execution day just made his blood boil and made him want to slap that stupid smirk off the executioner’s face. Seriously, the man found way too much pleasure in his job. It honestly sickened Nick a little bit. Sure, there was the bloodlust when you became a vampire, but the executioner just took it to a completely different level. It was kind of perverted. 

Today was different for some reason, though. He had been doing really well. His eyes had been locked on the ground or the wall and he hadn't seen a single part of this. But he could feel Natalia's eyes on him the whole time, making his skin crawl. He glanced up towards the stage to see if he could catch her in the act, but something else immediately caught his attention. A girl with long, brunette locks and soulful hazel eyes. She looked almost identical to Madison – and she looked scared out of her mind. There was no way he could sit back and do nothing. If the rumors flying around the mansion about this newborn were true, she hadn't asked for this. Justin had attacked her in her dorm room before she could even get a scream out. She didn't deserve to die for something she had no control over!

Flames shot up right next to the scared newborn, making her jump and shy away from the heat and it broke Nick's undead heart. That was going to be her fate unless he did something about it. “Stop!” he called out, standing from his seat and locking eyes with Jacob, the leader of the council. This girl was not going to die tonight.

**~~**

She could hear voices all around her, but she wasn't sure who was talking or what they were talking about. All she knew was whatever was going on, it couldn't be good. The voices in the room were talking about her, of that she was sure – the word "newborn" wasn't exactly something brought up in casual conversation all that much. And she wasn't willing to believe this was a coincidence that she was here and her sire was here as well. It was no secret that when you were grabbed and a bag was shoved over your head, something bad was going to happen. Everyone had to know that unless they were insanely stupid. Of course, her sire must have been insanely stupid because he knew the laws before he stalked her that night, grabbed her and made her one of his own.

It wasn't as if Mackenzie had asked for this. Hell no. Mackenzie had been going to college, was a straight ‘A’ student and had a nice little apartment all to herself. To her, she had the perfect life. Then this man came out of nowhere and started harassing her. There was no reason Mackenzie saw that this was happening to her. She hadn't pissed anyone off and she mostly stuck to herself. After all, she was too busy with school and work to date, so there was really no reason to talk to a whole bunch of people. Sure, she had her few choice friends, but none of them had ever seen this guy either.

Soon after she'd woken up, she had been attacked. These men had come into the room the two were staying in and grabbed them. It seemed as though they'd been speaking in tongues. Then again, that was probably only because Mackenzie had taken a nasty blow to the head and she was pretty sure she had a concussion. If vampires could even get a concussion. She didn't know anything about vampires. Until a few hours ago, she hadn't even known they existed. Now, it didn't really matter, she supposed, because she was surely going to die.

When they reached a large room, the bag was ripped off Mackenzie's head and she saw vampires all around her. Men and women all staring at her and her sire as though they were some kind of plague; mostly her sire, though. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. If she were to guess, Mackenzie would have guessed a bad thing. A very bad thing. Especially when some of the vampires bared their fangs and seemingly snarled at them.

"Justin, do you understand that you have broken a law, that has been set forth by your superiors, to keep our race alive?" one of the older vampires asked, glaring down at her sire when he received a nod in answer. "And are you aware that the penalty for this crime is death, to both you and your new child?" Again, he received a nod as his answer. "Any last words, my son?" the vampire asked, actually sounding as though he was sad about having to do this. When Justin shook his head, the elder nodded slightly, eyes closing as he waved his hand in the air towards the executioner.

Mackenzie jumped when she saw flames shoot up in the air, engulfing Justin's body, making him flail and scream in pain. That was it?! He didn't even get to explain himself or anything?! Suddenly, the words the other vampire had spoken hit Mackenzie full force; this was her fate. She hadn't even wanted to be a vampire, it was forced on her and now they were going to kill her for something she had no control over?! How was this fair?! Seeing the older vampire look to his match-wielding minion once more, Mackenzie squeezed her eyes tightly closed, waiting for his terrible fate.

A single word suddenly rang out from the commotion of the ceremony. A word filled with such force behind it that the entire crowd was lulled into silence. That word was stop. Mackenzie’s hazel eyes betrayed the fear that was keeping them hidden, and popped open to scan the room for the single gleam of hope in this crowd of hate. She could have been a pile of ash on the floor if not for this one person. Would she get a chance to thank them? Or is this just a short reprieve in what was left of her undead life?

**~~**

Nick quickly realized that he hadn't really thought this plan through. Now all eyes were on him and he had no clue where to go from here. Four sets of eyes bore holes into him and it was kind of intimidating. But Nick knew he needed to stand his ground. Having Natalia's eyes being one of those four sets helped fuel his anger a bit more. The elders were not going to take his interruption lightly, but right now he didn't care. All he cared about was saving this poor girl's life.

Frowning down at the insane vampire dumb enough to speak out during an execution, Jacob questioned, “You would disrupt this execution to vouch for a vampire you have never met and have no information about?” It was foolish. However, as soon as he realized who the vampire that had called out was, he couldn't say he was surprised. Nick Morgan had been off since the death of his child and Jacob had to know this girl bore a very great resemblance to Madison.

Without giving it much thought, Nick answered, “Yes, I would.” His eyes darted over to the newborn to make sure she was still unharmed before he turned his attention back to the elders. “It isn't right to kill her for something she had no control over. Justin attacked her. She didn't ask for this. It's not right to punish her for the stupidity of one of our kind.”

While Nick put up a good argument, he knew the council was probably thinking they couldn't run the risk of allowing this newborn to live. The last time they'd bent the rules for a newborn, he had gotten away from his maker and went on a killing spree that took out half of a small town before William had been able to catch up to him and put him down. “She doesn't know how to be a vampire, Nick,” Jacob explained. “If we allow her to live, she could cause problems for us – problems I am not willing to risk.”

It was honestly a little disappointing that the only defense Jacob had was that she didn't know how to be a vampire. None of them had known how to be a vampire when they were created! But they had learned – they were taught and they adapted. Given the right teacher, this girl could do the same. “We can teach her how to be one of us!” he argued, glaring at the elders. “Someone can teach her how we act and explain that we don't run around massacring towns and she'll be fine! She just needs someone willing to help her.”

“And who do you suggest does that, Nicholas?” Natalia spoke up, glaring at her child. “We do not have time to take in strays and teach them the ropes. Hunters have been coming more frequently and we need to keep ourselves under the radar. She is a threat to us if we allow her to survive.”

Yes, hunters were more frequent now, but that didn't mean anything. Natalia was just trying to shoot him down and he wasn't going to let that happen. “I'll teach her what she needs to know. I won't let her step out of line.” 

A shrill laugh escaped Natalia at Nick's suggestion. “Oh Nicholas, come on. You mean like the last child you created? We all remember how that turned out, don't we sweetheart?”

Anger made Nick see red at the mention of Madison. Natalia wasn't allowed to speak about her. Madison had been doing great until she sabotaged her. A deep growl erupted from Nick's throat as his fangs elongated, eyes turning an onyx shade. He was going to teach this bitch a lesson once and for all.

Before he could move from his spot however, Jacob spoke, “That's enough, Natalia!” Madison's death was still fresh in Nick's mind although it had happened almost five years ago. To this day, Nick blamed Natalia for it and they all knew it. Honestly, after hearing Nick's story, Jacob had to wonder if Natalia had been telling the truth. But he had no proof – no evidence to support that she hadn't been so he couldn't do anything about it. There was a way Jacob could make up for it though. Turning towards his other councilmen, Jacob explained, “I think we should consider this.”

There was a hush over the crowd as everyone waited with anticipation to hear the ruling of the elders. The whole time the debate was being had, Nick kept his eyes on the girl. She looked scared to death. Then again, Nick couldn't really blame her. There was a chance she was going to be burned alive in front of every vampire in this room, after all. The executioner was standing a little too close to her also, making Nick grit his teeth – he really hated that prick.

Finally, after what seemed like decades, the elders turned their attentions back to Nick. “We have agreed to let the newborn live,” Jacob explained, satisfied when he saw the relief on Nick's face. “You will act as her maker. Teach her everything she needs to know about being one of us.”

Nick's happiness was short lived when Natalia spoke up. “But there is one condition, Nicholas. You have one month to prove to us that she is worthy of survival. If she steps out of line just once, she will be executed as planned. And if she is not ready by the end of the month to go on without you and be a useful part of society, that is also grounds for termination.”

“You will also be required to check in with us once a week so we can measure her progress,” Jeffrey added. “If we do not feel as though she is where she needs to be, then we will tell you and you will have until the next check-in to have the problem fixed. If it's not fixed, she will no longer be allowed to stay under your supervision.”

All of these rules he had to follow were going to be a pain in the ass. He had never taken care of another vampire before. With Madison, she basically knew everything about them before she had been turned so it was easy with her. All he had to do was make sure she kept her bloodlust in check. But with this girl, it was going to be everything. He would have to teach her everything. Honestly, he wasn't sure he was ready for such a big assignment. But he had spoken out on her behalf and she deserved a shot at life. “Fine,” he answered. “That's fine. I'll do everything you ask me to. I'll make sure she keeps out of trouble.”

Mackenzie couldn't believe that her fate was being decided by four vampires who had never even met her before. And who was this vampire who had spoken on her behalf? She was his responsibility now? What did that even mean?! This was all happening so fast and she had no idea how to handle it. And she was just so out of whack right now. Something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what. All she knew was that she didn't want to be here and she just wanted to go home.

Hands gripped her upper arms, two men dragging her from the stage and towards the back of the room where her savior was waiting for her. When they reached her new teacher, she was shoved into him, Mackenzie almost tripping over her own feet and landing right in the vampire's open arms. She quickly pulled back, pushing her hair behind her ear. “Sorry,” she apologized, trying to avoid eye contact with this vampire. She didn't know him – she had no idea how to act around him. And although he basically just saved her life, he was quite intimidating.

Up close, this girl was even more beautiful than Nick had first thought. Damn, maybe he'd made a mistake. No, he couldn't think like that. This girl was alive because of him and he needed to make sure she stayed that way. She was still scared – Nick could tell. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. That's the last thing he wanted. “It's okay,” he assured her, trying to catch her eyes. She was really trying to avoid looking at him for some reason. Right now, he didn't need to focus on that though. She looked pale. Fucking Justin probably hadn't even fed the poor girl. “My name's Nick. What's yours?”

He was nice. That was strange. So far, Mackenzie hadn't met any vampires who were actually nice to her. “Mackenzie,” she answered, allowing herself a brief glance into Nick's eyes. God, they were so green! No – she wasn't going to even go there. This man literally held her life in his hands and she still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Right now though, she felt sick. She felt like her insides were trying to eat away at each other and she had no idea how to stop it. Justin had promised that she would be invincible – that she was going to live forever and nothing could hurt her – but she didn't feel like that now. “Th-Thank you...for what you did. I owe you my life, I guess.”

A small chuckle escaped Nick's lips as he gave his head a decent shake. “Don't thank me just yet. We still have a month to figure out if I actually saved your life. You can thank me then.” His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the look on Mackenzie's face. It was easy to tell that Mackenzie was suffering from hunger. Just as Nick had thought, Justin hadn't fed her. If they hadn't burned him alive, Nick would have kicked his ass right now – obviously Justin wasn't a fit sire. Any moron knew that a newborn needed food more than anything when she woke up.

Well, that left feeding Mackenzie up to him, Nick supposed. But not while they were out in the open like this. He needed to get Mackenzie somewhere safe. Nick knew that the first time a vampire fed, it could get a little rough. A newborn was unpredictable, after all, and Nick couldn’t run the risk of losing control over Mackenzie so soon – especially in public. That would most definitely sign the young vampire’s death warrant. At least in his room, Nick could keep any incidents to himself. “C’mon, let’s get you out of here,” he suggested, gently placing his hand on Mackenzie's lower back and leading her towards the hallway.

When Nick started leading her out of the room, Mackenzie didn’t argue, the newborn wanting to get out of the meeting chamber and away from all of these vampires as soon as possible. She had no idea where they were going, and quite honestly, she didn’t care as long as they weren’t here. Mackenzie had never really been a people person, and these people had just been cheering on the man who was going to set her on fire – she didn’t want to be anywhere near these psychopaths.

Once they got moving, it didn’t take them long to get to Nick’s room although he was on the top floor. Mackenzie hadn’t even realized how fast they were moving, which led Nick to believe that the hunger Mackenzie was feeling was distracting her. Then again, maybe that was a good thing. If Mackenzie was unaware of just how fast she could move, it would make her easier to catch if she tried to escape because she would still be thinking like a human. But it also meant that she was going to need to drink a lot of blood before she was fully sated, and Nick didn’t know if he could give her enough. It was just something they were going to have to wait and see about.

As soon as they were both in the room, Nick kicked the door closed, throwing the lock into place in case Mackenzie got away from him. A locked door was harder to get through than an unlocked door – even for a vampire. “So, this is my room,” Nick explained, feeling a little awkward having someone else in his room. “And I guess you’ll be staying here with me for a while.” Yeah, one bed, he wasn’t too sure how this was going to work out. With Madison, it had been easy. He just shared the bed with her. But no one had been in his bed with him since Madison and he wasn't ready for that to change just yet. “We’ll, uh, figure everything out in a little bit. First, you need to feed.”

A small frown came to Mackenzie's lips at Nick’s words. She knew that she had to feed in order to survive, but there was just something about the thought of blood going into her mouth and sliding down her throat that turned her off. “I, um…I don’t know how,” she explained, giving her head a small shake. Mackenzie didn’t want to hurt innocent people; she didn’t want to be a monster like the man who did this to her. 

“I know,” Nick assured Mackenzie, holding his hands up as though he was surrendering. “Calm down – I’m gonna show you.” Stepping closer to Mackenzie, Nick instructed, “C’mere.” Reaching out towards Mackenzie, Nick cupped the newborn’s chin, thumb pressing against Mackenzie's bottom lip and pulling it down slightly so he could see Mackenzie's fangs peeking through. “When you’re hungry…or horny, your fangs elongate so you can feed,” Nick explained, smirking softly at the way Mackenzie's breath was picking up. 

He wasn’t going to lie – there was definitely an attraction there. She looked like Madison. Of course he was going to be attracted to her. But he had to fight it. If this thing went south, he needed to not be close. Nick couldn't allow himself to get close to this girl and potentially get hurt again. It would kill him for sure this time. “The first thing a newborn thinks about when she wakes up is the intense hunger that she’s feeling. Yours was probably delayed because of the overwhelming thought that you could possibly die. But now that you’re safe, it’s there, and your fangs are elongated.” Nick remembered it like this was his first time feeding, and he knew that Mackenzie had to be feeling pretty damn hungry.

Turning towards the mini fridge in his room, Nick opened the door and pulled his last blood bag from the shelf. It wasn't ideal, but she was new and she needed something. They would move on to other methods when she wasn't starving. “Here, this will help. It's not the most appealing first meal, but it'll hold you over until I can get you something else.”

Almost as soon as the scent of blood filled the room, Mackenzie could feel herself being pulled towards the source. Her teeth ached as she took a staggering step towards Nick, yanking the blood bag out of his hand and pressing it against her lips. Her fangs tore through the plastic like it was nothing, her head tipping back in ecstasy as that first stream of blood moved down her throat. It was cold and not exactly something that she would describe as great, but it hit the spot for sure. Unfortunately, it was gone way too soon. “M-More,” she pleaded, wiping the excess blood that had spilled over her lips off with her fingers and sucking them into her mouth to clean them. “Mmmmmm....Nick, I need more. Please?”

Nick remembered this – the bloodlust. He'd gone through the same thing with Madison when she had been born. Unfortunately, he'd had more blood bags in stock when she was here. “I know you do,” he assured Mackenzie. “But that was the last bag I had. We're going to have to wait until dark to sneak into the hospital and get more.”

That wasn't the answer Mackenzie was looking for. Her stomach felt like it was eating itself and she was crazy with the need to feed. “No Nick, you don't understand!” she argued. “I need it! That wasn't enough!” Suddenly, it occurred to her that Nick had blood pumping through his veins. Sure, he was a vampire but they still bled. She saw Justin bleeding before he died. Without thinking, she lunged for Nick, fangs bared as she went for his jugular.

Fortunately, Nick had been prepared for this. When Mackenzie jumped for him, he caught her, using his strength to his advantage. The older a vampire got, the stronger he got. Newborns were strong because of the bloodlust driving them, but they weren't strong enough to overpower a vampire as old as Nick. He growled in warning as he shoved her into the wall, pulling his head back to escape her snapping jaws. “Stop it, Mackezie!” Nick ordered. “You need to learn how to control the blood so it doesn't control you – that's lesson number one! Now calm down!”

Mackenzie wanted to calm down and do what she was told, but she just couldn’t. Nick’s blood was calling to her, and Mackenzie wanted it. No, she needed it. “Please?” Mackenzie whispered, giving her head a small shake as she allowed it to roll on the cool wall. “Nick, please, I can’t.” 

It was painfully obvious that Mackenzie was losing the battle she was having with herself, and Nick felt bad for her. “Shh…Mackenzie, just breathe all right,” he instructed, running his fingers through Mackenzie's sweat-damp hair. “Just breathe through it.” Of course, Nick remembered what it was like to feel the way Mackenzie was feeling although it had been a long time ago, and he knew that breathing wasn’t going to make the need for blood go away. It would help a little bit, make her focus on something else, but it was going to take a while for Mackenzie to get past this blood lust. At least it would if she was anything like Nick.

And now that Nick was in charge of taking care of Mackenzie and shaping her into a vampire worthy enough to be part of the clan, Nick was going to have to teach her how to get past this and overcome every other obstacle that came with being a vampire. People thought it was all rainbows and unicorns when they turned into children of the night, but they never took the time to really think about what they were doing before it was too late. Mackenzie hadn’t had a choice in this, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to have to suffer the consequences anyway.

Damn, Nick was really going to have his work cut out for him with this one.

Breathe. Just breathe. The words were echoing through Mackenzie's head. And she was really trying to listen. But there was a buzzing noise just under the surface – another voice telling her to feed. Nick was just out of reach – holding her back so she couldn't get to him. His blood was pumping through his veins, faster and faster as he worked to restrain the monster inside her. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she thought about anything other than the blood. 

Surprisingly, it worked – for a little while. The voice was still there, telling her to overpower Nick and take his blood, but she was fighting it so hard. She needed to prove to Nick that she was worthy of his time. He'd saved her from definite death – for the time being anyway – and now it was time for her to show him he hadn't made a mistake. Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet Nick's, Mackenzie taking another deep breath in, then exhaling. “Okay,” she whispered, giving her head a small nod. “I feel a little bit better. But I still want to rip your throat out. Sorry.”

“That's normal,” Nick explained with a chuckle. “Don't be sorry. Just fight it.” He remembered it like it was yesterday. The bloodlust was crazy. He'd gotten through it though and Mackenzie was going to also. Nick was going to be here every step of the way. This newborn wasn't going to meet the same fate as Madison – he wouldn't allow it. 

Fight it. Nick made it sound so easy. Sure, he'd probably gone through this too, but that didn't mean Mackenzie wanted to hear about how she had to fight her instincts. All she wanted to do was give in. The voice in her head was so persuasive right now. “Nick, I know you want me to fight it, but it's hard. I'm a new vampire. Justin told me that I need to feed until I'm satiated the first time as a new vampire. He said he was going to take care of me and then we were attacked and brought here. So now...I guess it's your job to take care of me. And not allowing me to eat isn't taking care of me.”

Mackenzie had a point. Newborns needed to feed practically as soon as they woke up and when they finally did feed, they needed to drink until they were almost – if not completely – full before they could control themselves. The lack of blood in the room was a severe problem. “You're right,” Nick answered with a small nod. “I'll go get you some more food. But you have to promise to stay here. In your current state, there's no way I can trust you to control yourself, okay?”

When he received the nod in answer, Nick pulled back, moving towards the door and throwing the lock out of place. “I'll be right back, Mackenzie. Don't go anywhere without me.” As soon as Nick closed the door, he had a feeling that this was a bad idea. There was no telling if Mackenzie was actually going to stay in that room just because he'd told her to do so. But this was important. She needed food and he had no other options at this point. Not to mention he needed to talk to Connor. Quickly, he moved towards the stairs, heading down three flights before coming to a stop in front of a closed door. 

“Connor,” he called, knocking on the door. There was a scuffle from inside and some colorful language before his friend finally appeared in the newly opened doorway. Nick didn't wait for an invitation, just shoving himself through the door. “I need to talk to you,” he explained. “It's important.”

He was pacing back and forth in the living room, so Connor knew exactly what this was about. Nick was freaking out. As usual, he hadn't thought things through and now he needed some guidance. Not that Connor minded. That's what friends were for. And being that Nick was his oldest friend, there was almost nothing he wouldn't do for Nick. And that including standing around and listening to his rant about the past over and over again like he was about to.

“I was in love,” Nick started. “She had been perfect! Long, brunette locks hanging down to the middle of her back, and those deep, soulful hazel eyes.” He was staring off into the distance as though he could see her there as he spoke. “She knew what I was – a monster – and she wasn't scared. Instead, she wanted to be with me. Forever.”

This was going to be a long one, Connor concluded. “Madison again, Nick?” he asked, settling in for the long haul. When Nick went on these rants, it was hard to steer him away from them until he was ready to finish. “Why don't we just forget about memory lane today and have a drink, man?” Throwing his arm around Nick's shoulders, Connor tried to pull him towards the table, only to be shoved off.

Anger was rising inside Nick. He quickly shoved Connor's arm off him when he tried to lead him to the table. He wasn't in the mood for a drink. “Yes, Madison again!” Nick yelled. “I did everything right!” His hand slammed down on the table, causing the wood to splinter under the impact. “She had everything under control. We were doing so well. But I was a fool. I trusted Natalia to keep her safe, and look where that got me!”

Tears pricked at his eyes with the memory. “She was so scared when I got back. And I promised – I promised – that I would keep her safe. She trusted me to protect her!” Shaking his head as a single tear slid down his cheek, Nick admitted, “I can still hear her screams when I close my eyes at night.” Again, the anger started to rise when Nick thought about the hours just before. “And now, I'm going to do it again! God, I'm such an idiot!” His hand shot out at the wall, breaking through the plaster and leaving a large hole in it's wake.

“Hey!” Connor shouted, getting his friend out of his current mood. “Stop breaking my shit!” He knew Nick was a mess – he had been a mess since Madison had been executed. But that had been five years ago. Nick needed to get over it. “You're not an idiot. You did a good thing. We both know that girl didn't deserve to die. And you're smarter now.” Slapping his friend on the shoulder, Connor added, “You're not going to make the same mistakes again this time around.”

Moving towards the fridge, Connor leaned in and pulled out a blood bag, ripping off the top and taking a swig. “Besides, I think this is going to be good for you,” he assured Nick. “This girl can help you just as much as you're going to be helping her. Maybe she can get that stick you've had shoved up your ass outta there.”

Connor thought he was funny – Nick was aware of this. Instead of engaging in more conversation where he was going to get insulted, or they were going to have to discuss his feelings, Nick changed courses. “I didn't come here just to take a trip down memory lane,” he admitted. “I ran out of blood bags. Mackenzie needs blood to satiate her appetite as a newborn and I don't have anything to offer her. Do you happen to have some laying around that you're not going to need today?”

He took another swig from the bag he was sucking down, thinking about what day it was. Sometimes, he lost track – it wasn't like he had to worry about time for any reason. “I have one left in the fridge. And I have Tracy lined up at the hospital tonight to hook me up with some more. You want me to grab you a few too?”

Good old Connor. You could always count on him when you were in a pinch. “That would be amazing if you could, man,” Nick answered with a small smile o his lips. “She's not ready to go out into public and I don't want her to be left alone for too long.” And there was no way he was finding someone to watch her because that had ended very badly in the past. Not that he would ever ask Natalia for anything ever again. But if he couldn't even trust his own sire, then who could he trust? 

“Absolutely, dude,” he answered with a nod. “I'll swing by your room and drop it off once I have it.” Leaning into the fridge once more, Connor grabbed the bag of blood he had left and handed it to his friend. Connor must have understood why Nick was hesitant to take this newborn out into the world.

Nick gladly took the bag, giving Connor a small smile. Really, he had no idea what he would do without him. “Thanks bud. This will help a lot.” Glancing around the room, he now felt a little guilty for the hole in the wall. “I should get back to her. I don't know if that lock will hold if she tries to get out.” He thanked Connor again before he was out the door, headed back to his newborn.


	2. Chapter 2

Mackenzie stared at the wall on the opposite side of the room, her fingers gripping the silk sheets beneath her as she tried not to think about her need for blood. There wasn't any and she needed to get that through her head. If Nick had anymore, he would have given it to her. Then again, he had perfectly good, hot, tempting blood pumping through his body and he wasn't sharing. She didn't know why he wouldn't just let her open a vein and drink deep of his blood like she wanted to. But she couldn't blame him, she supposed – if their roles were reversed, she probably wouldn't have shared her blood either.

Her eyes snapped to the door when she heard the lock unlatch. Nick was back. Quickly, she jumped off the bed, moving to the door so she could greet him. A weird pang of safety washed over her when she thought of Nick. There was a connection there that neither one of them were acknowledging and she didn't know why. If it were up to her, she would be embracing it. After all, it wasn't like Nick was an unattractive guy. Just the opposite really with his dark brown hair and his moss green eyes that seemed to always be able to see right through her. It was strange there was such a connection when she had only known him for less than a day – it felt like she had known him her whole life.

When he walked into the room, Nick nearly ran right into Mackenzie, not expecting her to be so close to the door. "Oh, hey," he greeted, closing the door and locking it. "I got this for you," he explained, holding out the blood bag to Mackenzie. "It's not much, but at least it'll hold you over until tonight when I get more."

"Are you taking me with you?" Mackenzie asked, taking the bag from Nick's hand. She wanted out of this room – out of this mansion. She wasn't the kind of girl who just stayed in one place for too long. She liked to be out and about. Sure, now it was going to be harder, but she couldn't stay here like this. And she trusted Nick to teach her what she needed to know. She trusted Nick to not let her get into any trouble and hurt someone. That was the last thing she needed.

Nick watched as Mackenzie bit into the blood bag. She was a lot more controlled about it now, which led him to believe that maybe she wouldn't have such a hard time with the bloodlust. Take her with him? Yeah, they were nowhere near that point yet. "I'm actually not going," he explained, clearing his throat as he moved away from the door. "I have a friend of mine going. He was already planning on making the trip so I just asked if he could grab a few extra for me." 

She could see there was hesitation in Nick's words. "You don't think I'm ready?" she asked, licking the small amount of blood that had leaked out of the bag from her bottom lip. "Nick, I can't stay cooped up in this room. That's not the kind of person I am. It'll drive me crazy." Taking another sip from the bag, Mackenzie added, "And I don't think a crazy new vampire is a really good idea. Do you?"

It was quite impressive how well Mackenzie was handling all of this. Even Madison hadn't been this good – and she had been preparing for this. Mackenzie was smart. And it seemed like she knew how to get her way. "You're right. But I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be going around other people right now either," Nick explained, making sure to keep eye contact with her. If she wanted a challenge, he would give it to her. "To vampires, humans are just happy meals on legs. And you may not believe me now, but you haven't been around anyone since your change, right?" When Mackenzie nodded for confirmation, Nick smirked. "It's a lot different when there are people all around you. The constant struggle to fight your instincts to feed will overwhelm you if you aren't taught how to properly control them."

People were always a problem for her. Even when she was alive she didn't get along well with others. People were cruel and nasty in her opinion so she tried to avoid most of them when the opportunity presented itself. She had more important things to focus on rather than making friends and finding her true love like everyone else her age was trying to do. Mackenzie didn't need to find the one. At the time, she needed to pass all of her classes and graduate so she could move on and find a decent job so she could support herself. Now though, all of that was basically pointless. "I can control it. I'm a fast learner."

"I have no doubt you're a fast learner," Nick assured her. "But when you first became a vampire, you woke up in a motel room. And then you were brought straight here for execution. You haven't been in the world. Around people. You haven't felt that strong urge...the desire that the warm blood brings out in you. And honestly, no, I don't think you're ready for that. You couldn't even control yourself around me just a few minutes ago. Trust me when I tell you, a human isn't going to be able to hold you back like I did."

Just because she was new and hadn't been around people didn't mean she couldn't handle it. And they only had 30 days. If Nick couldn't teach her everything she needed to know by the end of the month, she was going to die as planned. "Then teach me," she challenged, tossing the empty blood bag into the trash can and taking a step closer to Nick. 

“I'll teach you everything you need to know,” he assured her, leaning just a bit closer. “All in good time, Mackenzie. You can't rush these things.”

“We only have a month,” Mackenzie reminded. “So maybe we should try to rush these things a little bit.” She always loved a challenge. And Nick was giving her exactly what she wanted. Mackenzie was going to win this. And she didn't care what she had to do in order to come out victoriously. “I don't want to die, Nick. And you saved me so I don't think you want me to die either.”

Shock was clear on Nick's face at Mackenzie's declaration of not wanting to die. No, he didn't want her to die. “I did save you,” he answered, sad green eyes searching her face for answers. “And I don't want you to die. That's why I'm trying to keep you here where you're safe. I can teach you what you need to know here and then we can go out into the world and test things.” Mackenzie was so new – surely she didn't know about Nick's mistakes with his previous newborn.

It was clear that something was holding Nick back. He was scared of something and Mackenzie wanted to know what it was. She wanted to know everything there was to know about Nick. But they were still new to each other – it wasn't right to interrogate the man right now. “Fine,” Mackenzie backed off, taking a step away from Nick now that she wasn't in this fight anymore. “You can teach me when you're ready. Just...make sure that it's within the month period.” A little teasing wouldn't hurt, right?

Now it was Nick's turn to make a move. Taking a step towards Mackenzie, filling the gap she had just created, Nick pressed his fingers to her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “I won't let them hurt you,” he assured her, pale green eyes boring holes into Mackenzie's own hazels. “Do you trust me?” 

Trust was such a strong word. Honestly, Mackenzie had never been able to trust anyone in her life – not even her family really. But Nick hadn't given her any reason not to trust him. Just the opposite, actually. He saved her life and he was taking care of her now so why shouldn't she trust him? “Yeah, I do,” she admitted, giving him a small smile. 

“Good,” Nick answered, honestly a little shocked that she would trust him so soon. He wasn't going to complain about it though. The sooner he gained her trust, the better. Her trust would help them make sure the vote went in their favor. “So, I'm sure you have questions. Why don't we focus on that for a little while? Take your mind off everything else right now.”

She had so many questions that she wasn't even sure where she should begin. It wasn't like Justin had given her a crash course or anything before they'd been dragged here and he had been murdered. Sure, she picked up on a few things just from his rambling about how they were going to be together forever and all of that, but he wasn't interested in teaching her anything in the brief amount of time they'd spent together. Mostly, she had just been trying to keep his hands off of her. 

Where to begin – that was the real question. The basics were probably a good place to start. “I know a little bit,” she began. “Like I know that I need to feed regularly to keep the bloodlust under control. And that if I don't keep myself satiated, there's a high chance I will go off the rails.” Justin had made that part very clear around the time he was promising to get her some food and make her feel better. “But that's about it. Other than the fact that if I try to turn anyone else into something like us, I will be killed and so will my spawn. I got that part loud and clear.”

Nick couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips at Mackenzie's ability to keep things light even in her current situation. “Well, that's not exactly true,” he explained, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. “There are some exceptions to the rule, otherwise we would become extinct. As long as you go to the council and ask for permission, there's a chance. Just have to dot all of your i's and cross all of your t's first.”

The council. It sounded so official. They were like their own little community that no one knew about here. It was kind of fascinating actually. “Why?” she asked, slightly intrigued by all of this new information that she had the opportunity to soak up. “What makes the council so special that they can dictate who makes a new vampire and who can't?”

Honestly, Nick had been asking himself that question since the council had been formed. He didn't understand it fully, but he had been given some line when he asked, so Mackenzie deserved the same explanation. “They're elders. They've been alive longer than anyone else in the coven. They keep us from doing stupid things that could lead to our ultimate demise.” His eyes ticked up to Mackenzie's when she sat down on the bed next to him, Nick's body tightening as he tried to refrain himself from moving closer. “As a vampire, you think you're invincible. That nothing can hurt you. And while there are a lot of things that can't, there are also some things that can.”

So they weren't invincible. Obviously, Mackenzie knew that fire could kill her, but she wanted to know more. “What can hurt me?” she asked, noticing the change in Nick's body when she sat closer to him, her hazel eyes locked on his now dark green ones.

“Fire, as you've already seen,” Nick explained, figuring it was easy to start with the basics. “Beheading is another way to make sure we're dead. Our hearts being ripped from our chest cavities. Silver...it's like poison to us.” Love. Losing someone like that was enough to cripple just about anyone. Of course, Nick left that one out. Mackenzie didn't need to know about his past just yet. “And a stake to the heart is another sure fire way of killing us.”

Silver? That was interesting. In every horror movie Mackenzie could remember watching, silver was always something that would hurt werewolves – not vampires. That just went to show how wrong everything people thought they knew about vampires truly was. “What about sunlight?” she asked, eager to know if she was destined to live in the dark for the rest of her life.

Sunlight – that was a classic. Garlic, crosses and holy water was going to be next on the list. Chuckling, Nick shook his head as he explained, “Sunlight won't kill us. It's really just more annoying than anything. Our bodies are programmed to sleep during the day, but if you go outside in the sun, you'll just get itchy, really. And your eyes will bother you. The worst you'll get is a really bad sunburn that will go away within a few hours.”

He pressed his finger against Mackenzie's lips without even putting much thought into it as he continued, “And before you ask, garlic is editable – and actually tastes pretty good. Crosses are wearable. And I went an entire year drinking holy water between meals because my buddy Connor thought it would be funny.”

When Nick realized that his finger was against Mackenzie's mouth, his cheeks reddened as he quickly pulled away. Touching was not on the agenda. He needed to be keeping his distance. As much as he wanted to believe that he would be able to keep her alive, there was a chance he couldn't. And he knew if that happened after he allowed himself to get close, he wouldn't be able to handle it again. He would go off the rails and it would be the end of Nick Morgan.

Mackenzie had a hard time focusing on what Nick was saying to her when his index finger was pressed against her lips. The bloodlust that she was trying so desperately to hold back was fighting to break her again. Nick smelled so good just sitting this close to him, but when she could practically taste him like this, it made things so much worse for her. She could feel her fangs elongating again as her eyes focused on Nick's pulse point. His neck was so nice – the curvature perfect, his veins pumping blood through his entire body at a steady pace. Mackenzie could practically see them working she was in such a daze.

As soon as Nick's finger was pulled away, she could reel it back in for the most part. Her fangs retracted and she could feel her eyes adjusting to the light once more as the darkness faded. How was she supposed to concentrate on anything when all she could think about was the blood? She highly doubted there was some sort of vampire cure for the bloodlust. If it were that simple, the rule wouldn't have been made that no newborns were allowed around without permission from this elusive council.

“The blood?” Mackenzie started, tongue darting out to moisten her lips as her hazel eyes ticked up to meet Nick's now onyx orbs. “How do I keep my mind off that? I'm trying so hard to focus on something else, but you just smell so good.” It was her turn to blush when she realized what she had just muttered, Mackenzie clearing her throat as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “I'm sorry. I”m just...still hungry, I guess.”

Nick smelled good? Mackenzie should have smelled herself if that's what she thought. Nick had been on this Earth for quite a while – 568 years to be exact – and he had to pride himself on being able to keep the bloodlust at bay. But with Mackenzie, he wanted to push her down and feed deep of her blood before he let her do the same to him. It was odd. He'd only ever felt this way about one other person and it scared him. If he was this attached already, there was no saving him from falling further. And if they tried to rip her away from him like his other newborn, there would be no saving the council when they tried. And that really scared Nick.

Back in the day, he had been a real brute. Natalia always prided him on how well he'd adjusted to being a vampire. She always said he had been put on this Earth to become a child of the dark – he'd been made for this. Many vampires had tried to challenge him – vampires twice his age at the time – and he'd annihilated all of them with little effort. Normally, the older a vampire was, the stronger he was. For some reason, Nick had been able to take them out without much of a fight. He was stronger than any opponent he'd faced – including Natalia. Of course, he wouldn't have hurt her back then. She was his maker – he would have done anything to keep her safe. 

Funny how things could change so quickly.

He knew Mackenzie was waiting for an answer, but he just wasn't sure. It was different for every vampire. Personally, he had never been driven by bloodlust. He'd caught on pretty quickly. Nick had been more into the violence when he first turned. And when that part of his life was over – when the hunters started getting a better handle of things and becoming a threat – Nick had focused on keeping himself and the people closest to him alive. However, his friends had shared their experiences with him from time to time, so he had an idea of what to do.

Telling Mackenzie about her options was another story though. She couldn't leave this room at least for the first week, Nick had decided. If he was going to keep her safe, he needed to keep her secluded until they could get a better handle on her cravings. And having all of those other bodies around her was going to be a recipe for disaster. All he needed was for her to attack someone and everything could unravel. Sure, she couldn't kill anyone who lived in the mansion, but they could retaliate and hurt her. Not to mention that the vampires brought humans in their rooms to feed from quite often. It was just a dangerous game to play.

“Keep yourself occupied so you don't have time to think about the blood,” Nick explained, trying to take his own advice. He could tell from how dark it was in the room all of a sudden that his eyes were pitch black right now. And it wasn't because he was thinking about blood he was sure. It had been five years since he'd been touched by another person – since he'd wanted to be touched by another person. So what was so damn special about this person?!

She looked like Madison. Her hair was dark brown and hung down to just below her breasts. The same hazel hue Madison's eyes possessed was present in Mackenzie, and when she spoke, she sounded like her too. Hell, she even smelled like her. Maybe it was just Nick's mind playing tricks on him after all these years, but he didn't want to believe that. He surely couldn't have gone crazy overnight. This girl was just special – and she was his.

His. It was so possessive. So unlike Nick. He'd heard of stories of vampires who wanted to possess other vampires, but it was rare. Most people thought vampires were just brutal and they couldn't feel, but in reality they were just like humans in a sense. They had emotions. And those emotions were heightened – stronger than any sort of emotion a human could feel. That's why when they fell in love – true love – it wasn't something they could ignore. When a vampire found their one true love, it was their mate for life. Forever.

But that was crazy talk. Nick had found his and she had been torn away from him. And you only get one. His time had passed. He would never be happy again. At least that's what he was determined to make himself believe as he pushed himself further away from Mackenzie. “Like right now, focus on questions you have for me about what you are now. I know you have to have more.”

There was no doubt she had more questions. But Nick was being ridiculous if he thought just talking to him was going to keep her mind off how good he smelled. Still, he was the expert so she would give it a try. Each question she had, Nick seemed to have an answer for. And it was working for a little while, but the pull of the blood just kept coming back to her. Nick didn't seem to have that problem and Mackenzie wanted to know his secret.

“Why doesn't the blood seem to affect you?” she bluntly asked, moving closer to Nick as she did. “I'm asking questions, trying to keep my mind off of it and learn everything I can, but my mind keeps going back to you.” Her eyes closed as she ran her fingers through her hair, gripping the strands about halfway through and looking at Nick once more. “All I can think about is how hungry I am. I can see your blood running through your veins and I want nothing more than to rip into you and drink until I don't think about it anymore.”

Nick could think of a few things he wanted to rip into of Mackenzie's too, but he was keeping that at bay. Nick shifted his body weight like he was uncomfortable. She could see a blush starting to brighten his cheeks. “Everyone is different,” he explained. His hand shot out to grip Mackenzie's wrist when she tried to touch him, preventing the newborn from doing so. “Everyone finds something to focus on – that one thing that will keep them sane – and they cling to it. Work, exercising, sex.” Nick's current focus was revenge. “You just have to find your thing.”

Her thing. Nick made it sound so easy. Work – she didn't have a job at the moment being that she spent her time working on her studies. That was kind of pointless now that she was a vampire, she supposed. Exercising was okay, but it had never excited her before. She didn't think it would be any different now. Sex? No, she didn't have time for that when she was a human and she didn't want to think about it now that she was a vampire. What would the point even be? The whole reason to have sex was to make babies and now that she was dead, she didn't think that was a possibility. Still, from what her friends had told her, sex was pretty fun just for the heck of it.

No. She didn't need to be thinking about sex when she was sitting so close to Nick either. After all, just because he was suggesting it didn't mean he was offering. For all she knew, he didn't want her in that sense. And the last thing she wanted was total embarrassment when she rejected her. Especially since he was her only friend at the moment. “What's your thing?” she asked, her head cocked to the side as if challenging him once more as she pulled her hand away from him and allowed it to drop to her side once more.

Before Nick could answer, there was a knock at his door. They had been so focused on each other that they hadn't even realized what time it was. Without hesitation, Nick headed to the door, pulling it open just a crack to see who was bothering them. When he realized that it was Connor, he pulled the door the whole way open, closing it behind his friend so no one else could enter. “Hey Connor,” Nick greeted. “I didn't realize what time it was man. I'm sorry.”

“Don't worry about it, dude,” Connor brushed off. “I don't mind coming over to drop it off. Meet the newborn.” The smile that was on his lips as he handed over two totes of blood bags quickly faded when he saw Mackenzie. He almost couldn't believe his eyes – he'd known that she looked like Madison from when he'd seen her earlier that morning, but he had no idea the resemblance was this close. If someone had told him that Madison was sitting right in front of him currently, he probably would have believed them. It was uncanny.

His eyes slowly slid over to Nick, a questioning look on his face. There was a brief moment of silent conversation between the two friends before his eyes snapped back to Mackenzie at the sound of her voice. “The newborn has a name,” she protested, moving towards the two men. “Mackenzie...is my name. Not newborn.”

Connor jumped when the third tote was ripped from his hands Mackenzie taking it from him and riffling through it to see how much stock they were working with now. “Right, Mackenzie,” he nodded, looking back at Nick once more. “Well, I better leave you two crazy kids to what you were doing. Don't eat all of that supply Mackenzie. Nick's going to need some too.”

With that, Connor was out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. Nick knew this wasn't over between the two of them and he would have to talk to him about the resemblance between Madison and Mackenzie. But he wasn't in the mood right now. He didn't even understand it, so there was no hope of explaining it to someone else. Besides, he needed to focus on Mackenzie at the moment. She was already tearing into one of the blood bags like a vicious animal, which meant he had a long night ahead of him, he was sure.

Being that Mackenzie was new and it had taken her so long to feed after the transformation, she was very hungry. Connor had gone above and beyond to give him as much supply as he needed, which Nick was grateful for. So finally, after what seemed like hours, Mackenzie was full. She hadn't been worried about the mess she was making of herself as she drank her fill, that was for sure. “How do you feel?” Nick asked when Mackenzie refused to take another bag from him.

“I'm tired,” she mumbled. “Like...you remember how you felt after eating too many carbs when you were human? Like you just want to take a nap?” Her attention was quickly drawn to her clothing when she thought about getting sleep. She didn't have any pajamas here. She didn't have any clothes here period. Which was a problem seeing as how she hadn't been worried about etiquette while she was eating. Blood was all over her white camisole and there were even spots on her jeans. “Or a shower?” she suggested, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

A small chuckle escaped Nick when she suggested taking a shower. “Yeah, it's right through there,” he directed, pointing towards the door in the far back end of the room. “There are towels hanging in the closet in there too. Soap, shampoo, conditioner – all that's in the shower already.” Before Madison had been murdered, she'd bought a brand new bottle of conditioner and shampoo – Nick hadn't touched them since that day so he figured it was good that someone was getting some use out of them.

Although it was probably a bad idea, Nick knew that Mackenzie didn't have any clothes here. Madison had multiple drawers of clothing in the dresser by the window, so he headed over to rummage through them once Mackenzie was in the bathroom. As soon as the drawer was open, Madison's scent washed over him, almost sending him to his knees. With each article of clothing he pulled out, a new memory came flooding back, making him think of everything he'd lost when she went up into flames. Too much. He couldn't let it happen again.

Not wanting to take another trip down memory lane, Nick grabbed a black tank top and a pair of flannel shorts, tossing them onto the bed with a pair of black matching lace bra and panties before he slammed the drawers shut. He then walked over to the bathroom door, knocking softly enough that he didn't scare Mackenzie, but loudly enough to be heard. “There's clothes on the bed for you when you're done. I won't look when you come out.”

Just like a gentleman, Nick kept his eyes averted when Mackenzie emerged from the bathroom in nothing but her towel. Much to his surprise, Mackenzie just changed right there by the bed, not caring that Nick was having trouble keeping his gaze away as she did. “Better?” he asked when Mackenzie stepped in front of him fully clothed once more.

“Yeah, I feel really good,” she answered with a nod. “Thank you for everything you did for me today. And everything that you're going to do for me tomorrow...and the next day...and...well, you get it.” When Nick nodded, Mackenzie glanced at the bed, wondering how they were going to work out this new dilemma. “Um...do you want the bed? I can crash on the couch.”

Quickly, Nick swiped the towel from Mackenzie's hands and pushed himself to his feet. “No, you take the bed,” he argued, throwing the towel in the hamper beside the bathroom door. “I'll sleep on the couch. I've done it many times before.” Actually, he had never slept on the couch before. It wasn't comfortable to even sit on for long periods of time, but there was no way he was going to make Mackenzie sleep on it. Technically, she was a guest in his home. He wanted to be hospitable.

She hesitated for a moment, like she was going to argue with him, but she didn't. “Goodnight, Nick,” she smiled as she threw herself into the sheets, sprawling out under the blankets before she rolled onto one side and got comfortable. 

The lull of sleep was clearly pulling at her and after the day she'd had, and Mackenzie wasn't going to fight it. A part of her was hoping this was all a bad dream. That her friends had finally convinced her to go out for a night on the town and this was just the alcohol making her have very vivid dreams. And when she woke up the next morning, everything was going to be fine and just the way she had left it before she entered this nightmare world.


	3. Chapter 3

“Can I help you?” she asked as she cracked the door open, keeping her body close behind it to act as a barrier. She had seen this man before – he started to show up around campus a few nights ago. Just following her around and creeping her out. Now that he was at her house, she was even more scared. She wished she would have taken Jared up on his offer to walk her home and hang out for a while. But that ship had sailed and here she was. 

The look on his face was almost manic, his eyes darting around the small hallway before landing on her finally. She was perfect. Everything he wanted in a mate. And she looked like Madison – it would drive Nick crazy. He didn't like Nick. They'd been friends back in the day, but then he started changing. Justin knew that it was because of Madison and he was happy when she finally met her demise. He thought that would bring Nick back to the friend he'd always been to him, but it did just the opposite – Nick was worse than ever. This would teach him a lesson. “My mate,” he growled softly, eyes roaming over Mackenzie's perfect form.

Confusion was clear on Mackenzie's face as she pushed the door closed a bit more. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she explained with a shake of her head. “It's late. You seem like you've been staring at the bottom of a bottle. I think you should go.” She tried to push the door closed again, but Justin slapped his hand against it, stopping her from doing so. “Leave!” she yelled as she tried to push the door closed the whole way, using all of the strength she could muster. He was so strong though.

The door slammed open with so much force it almost knocked her over, Justin walking into the room and wrapping his arms around Mackenzie's waist, pulling her close to him. She was fighting with everything she had to get away, which only made it more fun for Justin. “You won't fight me once this is all over. I promise,” he assured her, tightening his grip on her as she wiggled away a little. She was a fighter – feisty. He liked that.

Panic was overwhelming her as she wiggled and fought to get away from this crazy man who had forced entry into her apartment. “Let me go,” she pleaded. “Please, you can have anything you want, just let me go.” She could hear him mumbling something about mates and how they were going to be perfect together, but she wasn't listening. She was going to get out of this if it was the last thing she did. Her fingernails dug into his skin, making him bleed, but it didn't seem to phase him. She managed to wiggle just the right way and almost escape, but his grip tightened, forcing almost all of the air out of her lungs.

The smell of her blood washed over him like a sweet blanket, wrapping around his senses and making him all but lose his mind. He didn't need to feed from her in order to make her his forever, but it surely wouldn't hurt. With the way she smelled, there was no way he wasn't going to have a taste. His fingers carded through her thick locks, pulling her head back and to the side, exposing her neck. His eyes darkened and his fangs elongated, tongue sliding over his lips in anticipation. “Shhh...” he coaxed, nose brushing against her pulse point. “It'll only hurt for a second.”

A scream ripped from her throat as she felt something digging into her neck, muffled by the hand that was slapped over her mouth. When she moved and tried to get away, it just made the pain worse, so she stopped. She hoped that once he was finished he would just let her go. She felt her body start to weaken, darkness pulling at her vision, causing her to fight once more.

He pulled back when he felt her start to fight again, knowing that she was on the verge of passing out from blood loss. Yeah, she tasted just as good as she smelled, if not better. He released her now, knowing there was no way she was going to do anything detrimental to his plan in her weakened state. Not that he had been worried before since she was a mere human. But he needed both of his hands now so she could wander around the room if she really wanted to. It wasn't like there was anything in here that he had to worry about. His eyes followed her as she stumbled towards the bed, his fangs digging into the skin on his wrist. Once he was bleeding nice and good, he moved towards Mackenzie once more, grabbing the cell phone she had in her hand and throwing it to the ground before gripping her hair once more.

As soon as she was released, all she could think about was getting to her cell phone. If she was able to call for help, there was a chance she could get out of here without any more damage being done. Relief washed over her when she felt the cool metal pressed against her palm, her fingers punching in her password as quickly as she could. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes when she saw the picture of herself and her sister on the screen, letting her know that she was in.

However, her victory was short lived when her phone was ripped from her hands and thrown to the ground. “No,” she argued, trying to pull the man's hands away from her as she was grabbed roughly once more. She was weak, her body wasn't cooperating and she knew it had to be from the blood loss. “Please just leave me alone. Stop!”

The taste of copper spilled over her tongue the minute her lips touched this man's skin. Blood – he was making her drink his blood. Her hands came up to try to push him away again but she just couldn't. He was so strong. Finally, he let her go, Mackenzie quickly crawling away from him and wiping the blood from her mouth. “What is wrong with you?!” she demanded, continuing to crawl away until her back hit the wall and she couldn't go any further. “Stay away from me!”

She could feel sleep pulling at her but she knew if she passed out now, she had no chance. He was coming closer and she had nowhere to go. “Don't touch me!” she demanded, weakly kicking her leg out in an attempt to keep him away from her. But it was all useless. Before she knew what was happening, he was in her face again, his hands pressed against her cheeks and forcing her to look into his deep brown eyes. 

“It's okay my mate,” Justin assured her, his free hand running his fingers through Mackenzie's long brunette locks. “You're going to be fine. And we can be together for all eternity. Just sleep now. When you wake up, I'll explain everything.”

Another scream ripped from her throat as she jumped awake, her head smacking into something and causing pain to radiate through her neck and shoulders. Her hand shot up to rub against the small bump on her forehead, Mackenzie's eyes darting around the room. It took her a minute to realize where she was, her breaths picking up slightly at the sight of the dark room. Last night hadn't been a dream – this was real. She was in Nick's room still and she was still a vampire – a hungry vampire at that.

Nick pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, rubbing at his temple angrily. “Are you okay?” he asked, hand reaching out to grip Mackenzie's chin and turn her head towards him so he could see the bump on her head. It was already healing, so he wasn't too worried about it. What he was worried about however was the scream she'd let out before she shot up from her sleep. 

Nick. It was just Nick. She was safe. “I'm fine,” she assured him with a nod. “It's already healing.” The nightmare she had been having however was still fresh in her mind. It wasn't just a nightmare now though – this was her life. The whole thing had happened and this is what had come of that. She was a vampire. It was so hard to say. Vampire. It was like something out of a fiction novel. Who knew they actually existed in today's world.

“You were screaming,” Nick clarified, green eyes searching Mackenzie's face for answers as he pulled his hand away from her chin. He could appreciate that becoming a vampire was kind of a scary thing at first, but he'd never had nightmares from it. Then again, he hadn't been turned by force either. Natalia had talked it up – told him how great being a vampire was. By the time he was ready to turn, he couldn't think of a better fate. Of course now he thought of it as more of a curse, but that was just because of everything that happened with Madison. He could only imagine how traumatic everything must have been for Mackenzie.

But being a vampire wasn't all that bad. It definitely had it's perks. And once she knew about them, maybe she would feel better. Mackenzie's experience had been nothing but a bad one so far. But Nick could show her there was a whole new world she had to explore now. And maybe she would like it. A small part of Nick hoped that she would because he knew she could make his existence better. After all, lately it had been nothing but misery.

The moment Nick moved his hand from her face, she felt an instant loss. She liked it when he touched her – it gave her an odd sense of security. Like she had someone on her side in this frightening new world. “It was just a nightmare,” she explained. “Nothing serious.” Tossing the blankets that were still covering half of her body off the side of the bed, Mackenzie scooted off the warm sheets. “So, what's on the agenda for today?” she asked, trying to change the subject and willing her mind to forget about how she became this way.

Honestly, he wasn't sure he had an agenda per se. He was really just winging this. “I'm not sure,” he answered with a shrug. “What do you want to do?” The instant he asked the question, he regret it. “Within reason, Mackenzie,” he quickly added, shooting her a quick glance that he hoped relayed that he wasn't going to leave this room today. She wasn't anywhere near ready for that.

What did she want to do? She could think of a few things. However, when Nick shot her that look, she knew she wasn't going to get out of this room. That narrowed things down quite a bit. She wanted to leave here. Not to mention all of her friends were going to be worried when she didn't show up for school. And as soon as they went to her apartment, they were going to have so many questions. Hell, she was sure Adrian was going to file a missing person's report as soon as she saw her apartment. That was all they needed. Nick had mentioned that vampires didn't like to have attention drawn to them – well a missing person's report was going to make that a problem.

And her parents – they were going to lose it. After what happened to her sister?! There was no way she could put them through that again! “Nick, I need my phone,” she tried to explain. “My friends will be suspicious if I don't show up to class. And my parents will be worried if they can't reach me. We talk every day.” Biting her lip, she added, “We lost my sister a few years back, Nick. I can't let them think they've lost me too. And if anyone goes to my apartment, they're going to see there was a struggle.”

A struggle – that was the last thing they needed to see. But Mackenzie just wasn't ready to get out of this room, let alone out into the world where people would be all over the place. She'd never even fed on anything living as of yet, and Nick just couldn't risk it. He understood what she was saying though – people were going to have questions. And when he heard about her sister, his undead heart broke for her and her family. He knew exactly what it felt like to lose someone he cared deeply for. “You're not ready to leave here,” he tried to explain. “You haven't even fed off anything living yet. The risks are too high. I can't have you out there where you could attack someone because you don't know how to feed properly.”

Digging into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and pressed it into Mackenzie's palm. “Call your friends and your parents. Tell them that you're not feeling well and you need to take a few days off school. Don't let them think there's anything to be worried about and I'll figure something out, okay?”

“Okay,” Mackenzie answered as her fingers wrapped around the cool metal of the phone, brushing slightly against Nick's before he pulled them away. Quickly, she dialed up her parents first, knowing they would be the first to get suspicious if she didn't contact them. When her mother's voice came over the speaker, Mackenzie smiled, “Mom, hi,” she greeted, sitting back on the bed. “Yeah, I'm okay. I just wanted to give you a call and let you know that I'm not feeling too great today.” There was a pause as her mother spoke. “Oh, no, nothing serious, I'm sure. Just feeling a little under the weather. There's a flu going around school – I think I might have caught it, or something.”

Although Nick tried not to listen to her conversation, it was kind of hard in such close quarters. He could tell how close the two women were just by listening to them and it made him even angrier that Justin would do this to her. Mackenzie was such a sweet girl from what he had seen so far. She didn't deserve this – she deserved to have a choice in the matter. She deserved to be able to choose her own fate. And Nick was so sorry that the opportunity had been stripped away from her.

The call lasted for about ten minutes before her mother finally told her to get some sleep and feel better. She ended the conversation with a soft 'I love you' before hanging up the phone, tears pricking at her eyes. It wasn't bad enough that they'd lost one daughter, but now they'd lost them both. Taking a deep breath, Mackenzie dialed Adrian's number, knowing she would get the message out to all of their friends. However, this conversation didn't go quite as smoothly as the one with her mother.

“Oh my God, Mackenzie?! Is that you?!” her friend's voice came over the other line, fear evident in her tone.

“Yeah, it's me. What's wrong? Is everything okay?” she answered.

“What's wrong?! I'm at your apartment right now. It looks like there was a massacre here and I couldn't find you or get a hold of you! Your phone keeps going to voicemail and now I see that it's here so that makes sense. What the hell happened last night?!”

Great. This is exactly what she had been trying to avoid. Her eyes shot up to Nick when she saw his head snap towards her, brows knit in confusion. “I'm fine,” she assured her worried friend, shrugging her shoulders when Nick mouthed the question of what she was going to do now. “There was an accident last night. Nothing major – I'm fine, I promise.”

“An accident? Well that's vague. You need to tell me what happened. I was six seconds away from calling your parents and the police department! I need answers! Where are you?!”

Leave it to Adrian to always be looking out for her. Not that it was a bad quality to have a in a friend, but at the moment, it was kind of an inconvenience. “Well, remember that guy who's been hanging around and harassing me?” Mackenzie started, figuring she could give Adrian at least some of the story. Nick wasn't happy about her plan of action from the looks of it, but Nick didn't know Adrian – she wasn't going to stop searching for answers until she got them. No matter what the cost. “He came by last night when I got home. I tried to make him leave, but he pushed his way into the apartment and he attacked me.”

Before Adrian could get a word in, Mackenzie interrupted her, “He didn't hurt me. I'm just a little scraped up. My old friend from high school was planning a surprise visit and he got there just in time. The guy ran off. I just was in so much shock from everything that happened – I didn't even think about it when I left the apartment. I forgot my phone and I don't even think I closed the door, honestly.”

“Where are you?” Adrian demanded once more.

She could tell that Adrian was suspicious. She thought the story was pretty damn believable. After all, she hadn't met Adrian until her freshman year of college so it wasn't like she knew Mackenzie didn't have a friend named Nick. “I'm with my friend Nick. He let me stay here last night and I just haven't worked up the nerve to go back home yet. I'm still a little shaken up, you know?”

Nick couldn't help but roll his eyes when Mackenzie told some stupid story about him being a friend from school. He sure hoped this Adrian person wasn't close with Mackenzie's parents – one mention of his name and their confusion was going to blow her lie right out of the water. But he had to give her props for thinking quickly on her feet – that was pretty impressive. He didn't want to be rude, but the conversation was going on for a while, which left her friend wide open to ask more questions. Nick hated questions.

“No, I don't think I'm going to leave Nick's place today,” Mackenzie answered with a shake of her head, eyes rolling when Nick made the hand motion for her to hurry the conversation up. She needed to talk to her friend, otherwise she was going to be suspicious. “Can you just take notes for me in class so I don't get behind?” There was a pause as Mackenzie listened to Adrian on the other line. “Um...I don't know when I'll be back. Definitely not today – Nick and I have to go to the police station and file an incident report.”

To be honest, Mackenzie was kind of proud of herself for how well she was handling this. She didn't usually lie to people – she hated liars. “Yeah, I know that I'm going to miss a lot of material that's going to be on the mid term. I can't just let this slide, Adrian. What if he comes back? I need to take care of this.” Once again, Mackenzie rolled her eyes when Nick tried to hurry her conversation, shoving her index finger into the air and silently telling him to hold on a minute. “Don't worry, I'll be safe. I'll be here with Nick. He won't let anything happen to me. Look, I gotta go. I'll call you later, okay? Please don't tell my parents. I don't want them to worry about me.”

After saying their goodbyes, Mackenzie hung up the phone, tossing it back to Nick. “Don't look at me like that,” she chastised. “Adrian wasn't going to let it go, Nick. I had to give her some kind of story.” Shrugging, she pushed herself off the bed, just now realizing how hungry she was since she was so close to Nick once more. Her eyes darkened and she could feel her fangs trying to elongate, but she fought it back as best as she could. “I think I did pretty well given the situation.”

Nick could tell that Mackenzie was fighting with everything she had in her to tame the hunger. It was quite impressive for a vampire of her age to be able to fight off the urge to let her fangs out. Maybe Nick was wrong about her – maybe she could handle this. Just because it took Madison a few weeks to keep her hunger in check didn't mean it would take Mackenzie that long. She wasn't Madison – no matter how much they resembled each other. “You did,” he agreed, his own eyes darkening when he breathed in Mackenzie's scent. “There's only one problem. Your friend is going to expect to see you at some point in the near future. And you don't look like you've been attacked.”

Crap – she hadn't thought about that. “That sounds like a problem for another day,” she countered. It was getting harder to keep her fangs at bay, Mackenzie feeling Nick's scent wrap around her, causing her breaths to pick up. He smelled so good. And she didn't think it was just because of the blood he had pumping through his veins. She could tell there was something there – it wasn't one sided. Nick felt it too. Mackenzie wanted to explore that.

She was getting closer and Nick wasn't going to be able to control himself if she tried anything. “You need to eat,” he whispered, breaking the eye contact they had as he turned towards the fridge. Now that they weren't staring at each, Nick took a moment to compose himself. They couldn't go down that road. It just wasn't an option. He wasn't ready. Madison's death was still too fresh. And in all honesty, he was scared. He didn't want Mackenzie to meet a similar fate. Maybe he was just a bad omen – anyone who tried to be with him was just doomed?

Eat – yeah, that sounded like a good idea. “Right,” she answered, turning away from Nick's back and moving towards the couch where he had slept. It smelled like him, so she sunk a little deeper into the cushions, letting it engulf her. Damn, she'd never felt this before. Nick did something to her. Maybe it was because he'd saved her life, but she definitely didn't want to ignore it for much longer. She needed some kind of answers – this was so new to her.

When Nick handed her the blood bag, Mackenzie gladly took it. She popped the top off and wrapped her lips around the opening, sucking it like a straw and moaning softly when the blood hit her tongue. It didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. Drinking blood wasn't all that bad as long as she didn't think about it – just like drinking a thick, red milkshake. And it really hit the spot.

Mackenzie could tell there was a difference between today and yesterday. She had been ravenous yesterday when she fed. Today, she had a lot more control over what she was doing. There was still a part of her that was telling her to rip open the bag more and just chug until there was nothing left, but she fought it down. She needed to show Nick that she had some semblance of control, otherwise he was never going to trust that she could leave this room.

Again, Nick was amazed by how well Mackenzie was controlling her urges. Maybe she was ready to go out into the world? No – he wasn't going to chance it. He needed to test her on a warm body first. There was a huge difference between a blood bag and a human. For one, she couldn't kill a blood bag. And it was so much different when you had someone else in front of you – when their blood was sliding down your throat. There was a sense of passion to it. And the last thing he needed was for Mackenzie to lose herself in the throes of passion.

Once she was finished with the last drop, Mackenzie stood, tossing the blood bag in the garbage can before she moved towards Nick once more. She had so many questions to ask him about why she was feeling this way. Even when she had her first crush in high school, it didn't feel like this. “Nick...” she started, hazel eyes locked on his once more. “Why do I feel like this?”

The question took him by surprise. His browns knit in confusion as she took another step closer, Nick glued to his spot on the floor. He wanted to move away so badly, but he couldn't. Why did he feel like this? How could he answer her question when he couldn't even answer his own? This was new to him – even when he'd been with Madison, he hadn't felt like this. It was so strong. Like he was being pulled towards Mackenzie and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was trying to fight it, but he just wasn't sure how much longer he could.

Mackenzie was so close now that she could touch if she just reached out. So she did, her hand pressing against Nick's chest where his heart should be beating. It was like electric shot through her palm, causing her to gasp as her eyes ticked back up to meet Nick's. Her breaths were coming out in quick pants, lips so close to Nick's that she could almost taste him. “I know you feel it, too,” she assured him, making sure he knew there was no way to lie his way through this.

“I don't know,” Nick admitted, shaking his head. All he could think about right now was Mackenzie's hand on his chest. If his heart beat, he knew it would be beating right out of his chest. His breaths matched Mackenzie's as his eyes ticked down to her plump pink lips. It would have been so easy just to dip down and take what his body was obviously craving – what both of their bodies were craving. The smell of Mackenzie's need was all around him, driving him insane. “What are you doing to me?” he almost growled, the struggle of keeping his composure clear in his voice.

It was all too much. Nick needed to stop this before it went any further. He was the older one here – he needed to be in charge. He couldn't allow himself to get close. His hand shot up to wrap around Mackenzie's wrist, pulling her hand away from his chest. Instantly, he felt the loss, his body feeling as though it had grown colder by losing the touch. “I need to take a shower,” he mumbled as he turned away once more. 

As he started to walk away, Mackenzie's hand reached out, gripping his bicep and forcing him to face her once more. “Please don't leave me?” she begged, her body needing to feel the closeness of Nick again. When he pulled away from her, it was like a punch to the gut. She didn't understand why he was fighting this. He wanted her and she wanted him – she didn't see the problem here. “Why are you fighting this?” she whispered, her hands reaching up to cup Nick's face. They were both consenting adults. 

She leaned in to brush her lips against Nick's softly, that same spark shooting through her at the feel of his rough skin against her own soft skin. She wanted this – so bad. She'd never felt the need for anything else this strongly. Maybe it was a vampire thing? Then again, Nick said he didn't know what was happening either, so that didn't leave her with much to go on. All she knew was that she wanted to kiss him again – for real this time.

When her lips brushed against his, Nick almost lost it. He couldn't do this. Nick knew if he allowed this to go further, he wasn't going to be able to stop. And neither one of them were ready for the consequences of that just yet. “I can't,” he whispered as he pulled her hand away from his face, turning away from her once more. A pang of guilt shot through him when he caught a glimpse of the hurt on the young woman's beautiful face. “I-I lost someone, too,” he explained. “She was my newborn. She was framed for a crime she didn't commit and...they took her from me.”

It was the most open he had ever been with anyone. Really, he didn't even know why he was telling Mackenzie about his past. He just couldn't stand to see someone so gorgeous look so rejected. “I'm sorry. I just can't.”

With that, Nick headed towards the bathroom, leaving Mackenzie alone in the room. He needed to take a shower. They had a lot to do today if she was expected to leave this room in a few days. The sooner they got started, the more they could get through. And Nick needed a minute to himself after everything that just happened. His mind and his body were both still reeling.

The hot water helped a little, letting Nick's tense muscles relax under it's spray. His lips still tingled where he'd felt Mackenzie's against him. There was a fleeting thought in the back of his mind that told him this was meant to be, but he shoved it away. There was only one mate in each vampire's lifetime and he'd lost his. She had been stolen from him, and any hope of happiness in his life right along with her. 

Still, it was hard to deny this. Every part of him wanted Mackenzie at the moment. He wanted her to come into this bathroom and climb into the shower with him. Be completely exposed to him – vulnerable like he had been with her just a few moments ago. The thought had a small moan escaping his lips, his body responding to the mental image.

For the first time in five years, Nick felt his body begging him for release. How could someone he just met make him unravel like this? What was wrong with him? He was an idiot for thinking that he could do this – for thinking he wasn't going to completely fall off the wagon with this girl. As his right hand reached down to wrap around his hard member, Nick begged Madison to forgive him. His left hand slapped the wall of the shower as his right hand moved faster along his flesh, bringing him closer to climax. 

She was dead – she was gone. Surely, she would want Nick to be happy, right? The not knowing is what was making this so hard for him. He knew that in order to do what he needed to do to keep Mackenzie safe from the council's fire, he was going to have to let Madison go. There was no way he would be able to teach Mackenzie how to feed if he had to fight these feelings he had for her – it would be damn near impossible. 

An animalistic growl escaped Nick as his body erupted, coating his hand in the creamy evidence of his release. He'd made his choice. Mackenzie wasn't going to die by the hands of the council. They weren't going to steal another good thing from him. He wasn't going to let Natalia win – not this time. He knew what he had to do.

After washing the reminder of his orgasm off his hands and body, Nick shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. He dried off quickly, not wanting to leave Mackenzie out there by herself for too long. He'd at least remembered to bring clothes into the bathroom with him, which was a plus. He didn't think it was a very good idea to go out there in just a towel. After all, he wasn't looking to tease the poor newborn. 

Once his sweat pants and T-shirt were in place, Nick exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam following after him from the hot water. Mackenzie was on the bed watching some television program still in her little shorts and tank top from the night before and Nick couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was so innocent in that moment, he almost didn't want to shatter it. But they had work to do. So he grabbed the remote and turned off the television, catching her attention.

“Hey, I'm sorry,” she tried to apologize, feeling horrible about what she had done. “I didn't know you'd lost someone. I...didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” She could tell Nick's demeanor had changed since he'd gone into the bathroom. He seemed a lot calmer now – more collected. And when he got closer, she could smell the hint of sex on him. That was one way to take care of things, she supposed. Her eyes darkened slightly and she could feel her fangs start to elongate once more. But she wasn't even hungry. Then Nick's words from the night before came back to her. When she was horny this would happen too. “Nick, I –”

It was easy to cut off the newborn when she was going into a rant, Nick pressing his index finger against her lips to quiet her. “Shhh,” he whispered, eyes ticking from Mackenzie's lips to her eyes and back. “Don't worry about it. We have work to do.”


	4. Chapter 4

Mackenzie's eyes ticked towards the door to Nick's room. It was the only thing separating her from the outside world. From the people Nick was so worried she was going to attack if she got out. He'd made it clear that she was stuck in here for at least a week while he taught her whatever it was that he thought she needed to know. Whatever that was though, Mackenzie wasn't quite sure. He hadn't exactly been teaching her much of anything lately. Or even really speaking to her actually. 

Ever since that night that he had come strolling out of the bathroom smelling like sex on legs, Nick had been distant. He only talked to her when he absolutely had to and he rarely ever looked at her anymore. To say that it was confusing was an understatement. They'd gone from touching almost every day and being able to talk about anything to radio silence more or less. Mackenzie hated it.

Maybe Nick was having second thoughts about saving her. Maybe he was just going to let the council take her away and do what they had intended to do to her almost a week ago. After all, a check point was coming up here in the next 24 hours and Nick hadn't taught her much of anything. All he taught her how to do was stare at the wall and drink from blood bags without being a ravenous animal. Maybe this was the way he finally got rid of her.

No. She couldn't let her mind think like that. He would never do that to her. They had something and there was no way Nick would just let her die. Nick was her friend – her savior. He promised he wasn't going to let anything happen to her, and Mackenzie believed him. He wouldn't lie to her. Would he?

She was thinking too much about this. If she kept this up, she was going to lose her mind. It was just that Nick had been gone almost all morning and Mackenzie missed him. There, she admitted it – she missed him after just a few hours and it was driving her nuts. When did she get to be like this? Mackenzie was a strong, independent woman – she didn't need anyone. Now, ninety eight percent of her time was spent thinking about Nick. It was a mess. 

Just then, the door slowly swung open and Nick emerged, looking perplexed. Mackenzie instantly felt a weight lift off her chest when she saw that he was alone. For a second she'd allowed her mind to wander a little too far and she thought maybe he would have brought a council member to take her away. That wasn't going to happen though – she was just over thinking things. “Nick,” she greeted, a wide smile on her lips, “you're back!”

It was nice to know that Mackenzie was so happy to see him. He had been trying to distance himself from her over the last few days, but he was learning there was just no point. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about her – couldn't stop wanting her. He felt terrible about it – like he was betraying Madison. But she was gone. And Nick was here. And he had to figure out a way to live with that. What harm was there in giving in to his urges?

God, just the thought of it made him want to just throw away any negative thoughts and just take her without abandon. But he had to keep himself composed. The council wanted an update tomorrow and all he had done for Mackenzie was answer a few questions and teach her how to drink blood from a bag and a straw. It was pathetic. He'd meant it when he said they had work to do, but he just hadn't been ready to do what needed done. Nick had been afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself.

And he was still afraid. He had no idea what he was doing here. He'd never saved a vampire from execution before and been in charge of every little thing in their life from that point on. Sure, he'd turned Madison, but that was different. Nick had gotten permission to do that. And he wasn't under a microscope when he had done it because he'd followed protocol. This was so much more different. It was new and strange – the feeling he had for Mackenzie alone – and he was being judged every second by the council. It was nerve wracking.

Nick had been with the council all morning, checking to see what they were looking for in the progress report they were going to be having tomorrow. He didn’t like what he’d learned. Apparently blood bags just weren’t good enough for the council. Damn Natalia. Everyone had been fine with it until she opened her mouth. But there was no way Mackenzie was ready to be around a human even, let alone drink from one.

“I just don’t feel like she’s ready to be around people yet,” Nick tried to explain. “We’ve been focusing on other things this week. Like our history and what can hurt us — what we should avoid. She’s just been drinking from blood bags this week. And her control...it’s amazing!” 

Natalia wasn’t buying this. That girl had been scheduled for execution and dammit she was going to meet her fate. Sooner rather than later was what Natalia was hoping for. “Well if her control is so amazing, why are you so worried about letting her feed from anything other than a bag?” Natalia countered, pale blue eyes piercing through Nick. 

He hated her. She knew it. And she was sure if she wasn’t an elder on the council, he would have tried to kill her by now. After what she did to Madison, there was no hope of them ever being together again. But that didn’t mean she was willing to accept that. Maybe when Nick realized how persistent she was, he would just give in. 

Natalia. He couldn’t stand her. She was the only one with a problem! “I don’t want to risk it,” he explained glaring daggers at his maker. “I would rather be safe than sorry. There are three more weeks left in the month for me to teach her how to control herself around a human.

“Well I’m just saying that if you’re worried about her feeding from a human, maybe we should just...terminate the project now,” Natalia argued. “I don’t mean to be crass Nicholas, but we can’t risk another mistake by another newborn in your care.” 

The council members started mumbling among each other when Natalia threw the jab at Nick. It took all he had in him to not lunge at her and just rip her throat out. She was not going to take Mackenzie away from him too. “She won’t make a mistake. I won’t take her out of my room until I know she’s ready to be around humans without posing a threat to them,” Nick promised.

Jacob’s eyes locked with Nick’s at his words. He wanted to believe in him — he thought of Nick as a son. They’d grown close over the years, and the young vampire reminded him of his own children that he’d lost when he became the monster he was today. “I understand that you’re trying to take this slow Nick, but Natalia has a point. If the girl can’t feed, how is she going to be a useful part of our society?” 

This was an uphill battle, which Nick knew it was going to be. But he liked a challenge and he sure as hell wasn’t backing down now. “She can feed. I know once I let her try, it won’t take long for her to get the hang of it. She catches on quickly.” 

“Then teach her” Jacob ordered. “There’s no time to waste with this kind of matter. And while I agree with you that our history is important, she needs to be able to control her feeding as well. We have donors available in the mansion for you to help her learn.” His gaze softened as he continued, “Just know if she slips up and kills a donor, she will be executed as planned."

Nick didn’t want her around people. And to know that she was going to be executed if she made a mistake?! No way! “What if she feeds from me?” Nick suggested, eyes ticking to Natalia at the shocked gasp that escaped her lips at the shock. It was clear she was angry at the idea, which only made it better for him. She deserved whatever she got — she needed to know Nick would never see her as anything more than the enemy now. 

The other council members mumbled amongst themselves once more at the idea of a vampire feeding from another. It was a big step — a very sensual thing. Usually it was only done between mates in the throes of passion. “How is that going to help?” Natalia scoffed, keeping her face neutral so she wouldn’t let on that inside she was seething. 

Once again, Natalia was trying to break him. But Nick wasn’t going to let her. “It will teach her to feed from a live body,” he argued, eyes locked on Natalia’s. “And if she goes too far with me, she won’t kill me.” His eyes ticked towards Jacob, silently pleading with the elder to back him up. 

A pleased smile came to Jacob’s lips at Nick’s suggestion. Nick was willing to fight for this girl — he’d shown that when he vouched for her at the execution — but he hadn’t been sure to what extent. Until now. Blood sharing was a big deal to vampires. It was very personal. “Well I think it’s a great idea,” he chuckled, making sure to shoot a glance at Natalia. “As long as you’re both okay with it, I will allow it. But let it be known, this is just a band-aid. She will need to feed on a human before this month is up.” 

When Nick nodded to let Jacob know he understood, Jacob continued, “You’re excused, Nick. I look forward to seeing her progress tomorrow, my child.” 

With that, Nick walked out of the room, feeling both triumphant and nervous at the same time. However, the look on Natalia’s face was enough to make him feel pretty damn good about himself nonetheless. 

So that’s where he was right now. “I was with the council,” Nick explained as he stripped off his jacket, tossing it onto the couch. “We were discussing the plans for tomorrow.” He wanted to just go into the bathroom and take a shower to hide from what he needed to do today. But it needed done. She needed to practice. 

“Oh?” Mackenzie asked, her interest peaked. “And what did they think? What’s the plan?” To say that she was nervous would have been an understatement. The council held all of the power — the key to her future so to speak. If they decided that she wasn’t learning quickly enough, they could snuff her out of existence without much thought. 

What did they think? Well, they certainly had a lot to talk about, that was for sure. Some more than others. But Nick wasn’t going to think about that. They had bigger problems at the moment. He finally turned his attention to Mackenzie as he tossed his jacket over the arm of the couch. “They think it's good that we've been studying the history of vampires. And that I've taught you what can hurt us and what is myth and all of that.” God stuff first.

A small smile came to Mackenzie's lips when Nick told her the good news. “Well, that's great!” she exclaimed. Already she was feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. All day she had been dreading what the council was going to tell them tomorrow when they had to appear before them and it appeared that they were happy with the progress so far. But Nick's facial expressions were leading her to believe that something was wrong. “But...your face says that's not all they were saying. What is it?”

He had no idea how he was going to bring this up. Sure, to Mackenzie it probably wouldn't mean anything – she didn't know about their customs, after all. But to Nick, this was a huge deal. In the 539 years he'd been a vampire, Nick had never allowed another vampire to drink from him. Not even Madison and they had been together for years before he turned her. He hadn't even known Mackenzie for a month and he was about to open a vein for her. Maybe it was because of Madison. After all, they bore a strange resemblance to each other for one, and two, Nick didn't want to lose Mackenzie like he had Madison. 

Sighing, Nick figured it was best to just rip the band-aid off quick, so to speak. “Well...they also mentioned that blood bags aren't enough to show them that you're not dangerous,” he explained. “They want you to feed from a live body.” 

A live body. Mackenzie wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet. Nick hadn't even left her leave this room since she was turned. She hadn't been around living people in days. The closest she had been to people was talking to her friends over the phone so they weren't suspicious. “But...what if I hurt someone?” she asked, eyes ticking up to Nick and searching his face for answers.

“They'll kill you,” Nick answered, immediately regretting it. He could see that she was scared and he hadn't meant to make it worse. “Which is why I talked them out of it,” he quickly countered. “I mean, sort of...I guess you could say that.” Seeing the confusion clear on Mackenzie's face, Nick knew he was doing a terrible job of explaining this. “Look, when I met with them this morning, we talked about what they expected from you tomorrow at the evaluation. I explained that you have impeccable control for being so new, which they were worried about, and they want to see it. But the blood bags aren't enough for them. They want to know you can feed from someone without hurting them so you can be a useful part of our society. So you can be...like the rest of us, I suppose.”

Fear was bubbling up inside her at Nick's words. She didn't know if she could do all of that. She didn't know how to be a vampire, really. She hadn't been around people yet and she was scared out of her mind. They were going to kill her tomorrow – this whole week had been for nothing. But maybe that was for the best. Nick obviously wanted nothing to do with her anymore after the week they'd had and she didn't want to be a vampire with no friends. And she surely didn't want to get out and hurt one of her friends because she was a monster now. “How am I supposed to feed from someone without hurting them if I've never done it before, Nick?! I'll kill someone!”

It was clear that Mackenzie had absolutely no confidence in herself. Nick never went through this. He'd caught on pretty quickly when they had been forced into the shadows by the hunters. And he had no concerns that Mackenzie was going to catch on just as quickly. He hadn't been making it up when he was praising her control. “You feed from someone you can't kill,” he explained, brow cocking when he saw her expression change.

Was she hearing this correctly? The only thing she could think of that Nick could possibly be talking about was feeding from a vampire. And she didn't know any other vampires all that well either. Just going up to some random vampire and asking if she could test her feeding abilities on them seemed like a rude conversation to have. “What are you suggesting?” she asked, just wanting to make sure she was getting the picture here.

Clearly words just weren't doing the trick. Or Nick wasn't explaining it correctly. Something just wasn't clicking here. But there was the slight hint of acknowledgment in Mackenzie's facial features, so maybe she was understanding him, but she wasn't allowing herself to believe it. “I think you know what I'm suggesting,” he tried, keeping his gaze locked on her as he rolled up his sleeve. “You can't kill me if you go too far. And I can be here to talk you through it in case you need help.”

“You want me to drink from you?” Mackenzie asked, eyes locking on the vein in Nick's wrist. She almost couldn't believe her ears. When they had been talking about all of the stuff that vampires do and learning the history and everything, Nick had been very specific about blood sharing. It was only done in certain situations. “I thought you said that blood sharing was...personal,” she reminded. Now, he hadn't gone into a lot of detail when he said that it was personal, but the way he'd spoken about it had led her to believe that it meant...sensual, in a way.

Personal wasn't even the right word to begin to describe blood sharing. It was so much more than that. Honestly, Nick wasn't even sure he knew how to explain it. That wasn't important right now, though. He just needed to teach her how to feed. And Jacob was kind enough to allow his blood to suffice for the first week's check in. “It is,” he assured her, moving towards the bed and taking a seat. “But we don't have another choice.”

Mackenzie was scared. “Nick, I don't know about this,” she mumbled, biting into her bottom lip. “I don't want to hurt you.” Could she really hurt him? Mackenzie wasn't sure. But she knew that she didn't want to risk it. Some days were better than others with her control, but that was just with a blood bag. Nick was talking about feeding from him – an actual body with blood pumping through actual veins. She just wasn't sure she was ready for this. 

A small chuckle escaped Nick at Mackenzie's words. Like she was going to be able to hurt him. “You won't hurt me,” he assured her with a shake of his head. “I'm over 500 years older than you. I can handle myself.” Seeing that his words weren't making much of a difference, Nick sighed and changed tactics. “Look, this is what we have to work with. The council wants you to be able to feed from something other than a blood bag. I'm not willing to let you be around humans right now, so I'm all you've got.”

This was dangerous. Regardless of whether or not she could hurt him, Mackenzie was a little worried about the personal part of this whole blood sharing thing. It was hard enough being around Nick on a normal day, let alone being around him while she was feeding on him. She could smell it every time Nick was aroused, so she figured that it went both ways. Mackenzie really didn't need nay help embarrassing herself around Nick. “Are you sure?” she asked, realizing that he wasn't going to let up.

No, he wasn't sure. Nick wasn't sure about any of this. But this is what they had to work with. Tomorrow, Mackenzie was going to go in front of the council, and they were going to decide if she was worthy enough to survive another week. What kind of teacher would Nick be if he didn't give her every chance she possibly had to make a good impression? “Yes, I'm sure. I'll make sure you don't go too far. Just...focus, and listen to my voice.”

Slowly, Mackenzie made her way to the bed to join Nick. Her fangs were already elongated by the time she took a seat. Mackenzie really hated it when her fangs came out against her will. But Nick had already explained there was nothing she could do about it – every vampire in the world had issues controlling their fangs in certain situations. “I, um...I don't know what I'm doing,” she stuttered, onyx eyes locked with Nick's own deep black orbs.

“I know,” Nick assured Mackenzie, licking his lips as he took in the sight of his newborn. His newborn – that was an odd way to think of Mackenzie. Pushing that thought aside, Nick gently cupped her chin, thumb catching her bottom lip and tugging it downwards to gaze at her fangs. “I can show you. It's really not that hard. Once we get started, your instincts will more than likely kick in. It'll be like breathing.”

When Nick pressed his thumb against her bottom lip, Mackenzie's teeth ached. She could feel heat pooling in her belly, a deep blush coming to her cheeks. Great, now she was turned on and she hadn't even bitten Nick yet. “W-Where should I bite you?” she asked, not wanting to over step her boundaries. When they'd been talking about blood sharing, Mackenzie learned that there were multiple places a vampire could feed from their prey – neck, wrist, and the femoral artery were just a few places Nick had mentioned. 

Dammit, Nick should have asked for instructions on that while he'd been with the council. Surely, wherever she fed from would be good enough for them. It was just whatever Nick felt comfortable with, he supposed. Right now, for teaching purposes, he figured they should start light. “Let's start with my wrist,” he suggested, rolling up the sleeve of his black Henley. “That way I can control it if you get out of hand. I can see what's happening, and if I need to, I can stop you.”

Mackenzie didn't want to get out of control. So far, she thought that she was doing pretty well. But that had only been with a blood bag. It wasn't like it could tell her if she was being too rough, or not. “Okay,” she whispered when Nick told her they were going to start with his wrist. Her eyes locked on the veins that were now exposed to her, fangs aching once more. “Don't let me hurt you,” she pleaded, licking her lips once more before she took Nick's arm in her hands.

Sparks shot through Nick's body when Mackenzie took his arm. His own teeth ached as he watched her movements, waiting for what he knew was coming. “I won't,” he promised when she begged him not to let her hurt him. Nick was a very vocal vampire – if he didn't like something, he was going to speak up. “Just do it, Mackenzie.”

Without another thought, Mackenzie dipped her head, fangs tearing into the soft flesh covering Nick's tantalizing veins. A low moan escaped her as Nick's blood spilled over her tongue, sliding down her throat like addicting liquor. Her fingers dug into Nick's arm with bruising force as she pulled him closer, tongue lapping at the blood that was pouring into her mouth.

Being fed from hurt a little more than Nick thought that it would. Of course, he wasn't sure how he could think that being bitten would be enjoyable at first, but he'd heard stories from vampires who participated in blood sharing quite often. They made it sound like it was the best thing since sliced bread. Honestly, Nick didn't really enjoy it all that much. 

However, as time went on, and the pain subsided, Nick understood the appeal. The way he was making Mackenzie feel was better than the actual act of being drank from. He could smell her need – all for him. Again, his teeth ached, his member taking interest where it was trapped in his jeans. He hissed in a mixture of pain and pleasure when Mackenzie pulled his arm closer, Nick allowing his body to be maneuvered where she wanted it. His free hand gripped her shoulder, grounding himself – he couldn't let this go much further.

After a few more moments, Nick felt dizziness pulling at him. “Mackenzie,” he breathed, gently pushing at her shoulder. “You have to stop.” He knew he was in no danger at the moment, but in a few more minutes, he would start to panic. Nick figured he should give Mackenzie a little extra time to reign in her control.

As soon as Mackenzie heard Nick tell her to stop, she pulled back. Everything inside her was urging her to push Nick down against the mattress and take more of what he was offering, but she fought it. Her tongue slid across her blood stained fangs, lapping up the leftover blood there as she pushed herself backwards, putting distance between herself and Nick. “I'm sorry,” she apologized, wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her hand.

Once again, Nick was amazed by how much control Mackenzie had over her blood lust. Honestly, it attracted him to her even more. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he assured her, wiping the blood from his wrist before he pulled his sleeve back down. “You were amazing. As soon as I told you to stop, you did. How –” Nick cut himself off there, figuring it was stupid to ask her how she could control herself so well. Mackenzie probably had no idea what was going on with her body right now.

“Thanks,” Mackenzie smiled at the compliment. She was proud of herself for being able to maintain so much control. It was hard – even now, her body was begging her to ravage Nick – but she kept her composure. Her eyes landed on his lips as he spoke, Mackenzie sucking her own bottom lip into her mouth as she readjusted her position on the bed. She wanted him – and not just his blood. She wanted his body.

Nick could feel Mackenzie's eyes on him – could practically feel how much she wanted him. And he knew she could probably smell it all over him, as well. “I need to go,” he breathed, onyx eyes shooting Mackenzie an apologetic look before he pushed himself off the bed. He didn't give her a chance to object before he was out the door and halfway down the hall. His hands pressed against the wall as he took multiple deep breaths. 

Now that he was away from Mackenzie, it was easy for him to regain his composure. But he couldn't go back there right now. He needed a few hours away – needed some time to himself. Sighing, he pushed himself away from the wall and headed in the direction of Connor's room. If there was anyone who was going to take his mind off of the vampire in his room, it was Connor.

**~~**

Sure enough, Connor made the time fly by. Much like Nick, he was a very vocal man. If he saw something he had an opinion on, he would let you exactly what he thought. Like tonight, he was making his opinions on Mackenzie very clear. “All I'm saying is that it's weird, man,” Connor explained, handing Nick the blood bag he'd grabbed for him. 

Rolling his eyes, Nick grabbed the bag from Connor and drank deep. “Aren't you the one who told me this would be good for me?” he asked, throwing Connor's words back in his face. “That Mackenzie can help me just as much as I can help her? And that maybe she can get the stick out of my ass? Did you change your mind about all of that?” He loved it when he was able to make Connor eat his words.

While everything Nick was saying rang true, Connor wasn't about to admit that he was wrong. “Yeah, well that was before I had all of the facts,” he argued. “You neglected to mention that Mackenzie looks exactly like Madison. Ugh...their names even sound the same, dude. That's messed up!” Taking a seat next to Nick, Connor added, “I'm just worried about you. Like, your sanity, I mean. You don't actually think this girl is Madison, right? You don't have any freaky reincarnation theories you're working on, or anything?”

“No!” Nick scoffed, shaking his head at his friend. “I know Mackenzie isn't Madison.” Of course, the resemblance was what had drawn him to her, but now that he knew her, Nick was sure she wasn't Madison. “Look, I think it's weird too, Connor. I can't explain why she looks like Madison. But I promise, there's nothing to worry about.” Sucking down the last swig of his blood, Nick assured his friend, “I'm fine.”

Connor was well aware that Nick was a big boy – hell, he was almost 300 years older than Connor – but that didn't stop him from worrying. Nick wasn't the same after Madison. Every day for almost three years, Connor had to stop him from trying to end his existance. Connor wasn't sure he had that in him again. “I hope you're right,” he sighed. “I don't want to have to keep you from doing anything stupid again. I've been there, and done that. I'll let you die this time, dude.”

Of course, Connor was lying. But Nick didn't have to know that.

A small chuckle escaped Nick as he clapped Connor on the back. “Yeah, I'm sure you will,” he teased. Pushing himself to his feet, Nick tossed the blood bag in the garbage can. “I should get back to Mackenzie. We have a big day tomorrow.” Nick was still nervous about it. Mackenzie had done so well feeding from him – he shouldn't have this pit in his stomach. 

It hadn't felt like a week had passed already. “Oh yeah,” Connor recalled, standing so he could walk Nick out. “It's been a week already, huh?” At Nick's nod, Connor asked, “Are you worried about the evaluation?”

For as long as he had been friends with Connor, Nick couldn't lie to him. “Yes,” he answered truthfully. “If we go there, and they're not satisfied with how Mackenzie's progressing, they're going to kill her. And it'll be my fault.” Shaking his head, Nick continued, “I mean, I'm trying to think positive, but they're asking me to do things that I've never done before. Natalia is making things worse. It's like she's trying to push me to my limits.”

Although he tried to fight it, Connor couldn't help but roll his eyes when Nick complained about Natalia. “Of course she's trying to make it harder for you!” he whined. “She's a bitch! And a spiteful one at that! She wants you for herself, and you keep rejecting her. Rightfully so!” Clapping Nick on the shoulder, Connor encouraged, “Don't let her get to you. Instead, why don't you go above and beyond their expectations. Make this Mackenzie chick the best vampire since myself – that'll make Natalia seethe.”

Now, it was Nick's turn to roll his eyes. Connor obviously thought very highly of himself. “Yeah, that's easy for you to say,” Nick griped. “You're not the one she's trying to irritate.” Honestly, Nick was pretty convinced that Natalia didn't even know Connor existed. She was very rude that way. If she didn't have an interest in you, she just acted like you weren't there. Sometimes, Nick wished she would give him that pleasure. 

Shrugging, Connor answered, “She wouldn't be able to irritate me, anyway. I don't care what she thinks. And she's never done anything dire to me. Well, except mess with you. But other than that, she doesn't bother me. I just file her in the I could care less category of my brain.”

If only Nick had the ability to have such a category in his mind. “Thanks for spending time with me tonight,” Nick smiled at his friend. “But I really need to get back to Mackenzie. We need to work on what we're going to say and do tomorrow. This has to go well.”

With that, Nick headed out of Connor's room. He made the haul back to his own room, his nerves once again getting the best of him. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. He knew that Natalia was going to make it as hard as possible on him – he needed to be ready. Nick needed to prepare Mackenzie for whatever the council was going to throw at her. He just hoped that she remembered everything he told her about their history. Because right now, he didn't have time to go over it again. Right now, they needed to focus on the blood sharing.

“You're back,” Mackenzie stated the obvious when Nick walked into the room. She hated it when he left her alone like this. And he did it a lot. Pushing herself off the bed, she moved towards Nick, head tilting to the side as she stared at him. “Are you going to do this all of the time? Leave me here alone?” She was feeling brave. Nick's blood was rushing through her, and she wanted answers. “I hate it when you do that.”

Nick could tell that Mackenzie was mad as soon as he walked into the room. It was odd – she'd seemed fine when he left. When she told him how she felt, Nick honestly felt a little bad. “I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I didn't know it bothered you.” Had he known, Nick may have made it a point not to leave. Sure, he could sense things about her, and if he was lucky, he could tell what she was feeling at any given time from her body language, but Nick was far from a mind reader.

Angrily, Mackenzie snapped, “Well, it does.” She hated that it bothered her so much. But she'd tried to fight it the last time he left her, and she couldn't. “So...will you stop? Please?” She felt helpless – her feelings at the mercy of Nick. 

It had never occurred to him how his leaving might affect Mackenzie. After all, she was trapped in this room. She couldn't just leave whenever she wanted to like Nick. The only interaction she ever got was from Nick. Now, he felt like a real dick – like he was keeping her prisoner here and then forcing her to spend her time alone. “Yeah, I can stop,” he promised. His hand reached out to cup her chin when he saw her body language change from angry to relieved. “We need to keep practicing.” 

As soon as Nick's hand was on her cheek, Mackenzie's eyes slipped closed. She knew that it was wrong to enjoy his touch the way she did. But that was just another thing she couldn't control. Becoming a vampire was the worst thing to ever happen to her. She had absolutely no control over anything – her emotions, her body, her existence! At least when she'd been alive, Mackenzie had been able to control her life.

But there was one thing she could control now – and she was good at it. She could control her need for blood. Sure, she had to feed in order to stay alive, but she knew she was good at keeping herself in check. Nick had complimented her on it so many times already. “Okay,” she agreed, moving so that she was sitting on the bed. “Wrist again?” she asked, her eyes tracking Nick's movements as he took his place beside her.

The advice Connor gave him earlier that night rang in his head at Mackenzie's question. He wanted to make Natalia seethe. “No,” he answered with a shake of his head. “Why don't you drink from my neck this time?” He licked his lips as his own fangs elongated, onyx eyes meeting Mackenzie's. Nick didn't hesitate as he fisted his fingers in Mackenzie's long, brunette curls. “Don't drain me,” was the only warning he gave before he pulled her against him, hissing in pain when her fangs tore into the sensitive flesh of his neck.


	5. Chapter 5

Today was the day. To say that Mackenzie was scared would have been an understatement. She was terrified. If her heart could beat, she knew that it would be beating out of her chest right now. Honestly, she shouldn't have been so scared – she and Nick had practiced everything the night before. Mackenzie was prepared beyond belief for this meeting, yet she was still scared. It reminded her of the time she'd been sick to her stomach about her mid-term last year.

“Are you ready for this?” Nick asked, walking up behind her. He wasn't sure he was ready for this, so he could only imagine how Mackenzie was feeling right about now. Sure, they were prepared as far as Nick knew. But he wasn't sure what the council was going to throw at Mackenzie. They could crucify her, and there would be nothing Nick could do about it.

Trying to hide her fear, Mackenzie squared her shoulders, nodding. “I think so,” she assured him. “We've been practicing all night. I remember everything that you taught me about our history, and what can hurt me. And I just fed this morning, so I'm not ravenous. I shouldn't have a problem controlling myself.”

Nick was sure the council wasn't going to be interested in what Mackenzie knew about their history, or what could kill them. Sure, they may touch on the subject just for kicks, but he knew what they really wanted to see. He'd seen it in their eyes when he left the morning before – they wanted to see her feed. As soon as Natalia put that idea into their heads, it was all they were focused on. After all, if a vampire couldn't feed responsibly, there was no need for said vampire to still be in existence.

Furthermore, Nick knew that Jacob was interested in Mackenzie's control. He'd tried to hide his excitement when Nick mentioned how well Mackenzie was handling the blood lust, but Nick could see it in his eyes. He knew Jacob too well to be fooled. “I think you're ready,” he assured Mackenzie with a small smile. “Just be prepared. They're going to try to break you. Don't let them. And remember, when I squeeze your arm, that means stop.” He couldn't give verbal commands when they were in there. No human was going to tell her when it was time to stop.

The double doors flew open before Mackenzie then. A small female smiled at her, showing her fangs. “The council will see you now,” she greeted, moving out of the way so Mackenzie and Nick could enter. She then led them through the long hallway towards the back of the room. There, the council members were sitting in their seats that resembled thrones, four sets of unamused eyes glaring down at her. 

She hated the council. Just because they were elders didn't give them the right to act as though they were superior. At least not in Mackenzie's opinion. The only memory she had of these vampires was a terrible one. They'd almost killed her. Every vampire in that room last week had been all but begging for them to. Every vampire except Nick. And they would have done it, she was sure. And probably enjoyed every minute of it. So yeah, she hated them. This was the last place she wanted to be right now.

This was only one of four times she would have to come before them. Of course, she knew the first time was probably going to be the worst time, but that did nothing to comfort her right now. She felt small – weak. Mackenzie hated that vampires she didn't even know could do this to her. She wanted to feel strong. The last time she'd been in their presence, she'd felt weak, too. When she felt Nick behind her, however, Mackenzie stood a little straighter. He wouldn't let anything happen to her here today. Just like he hadn't let anything happen to her last week.

“Thank you for joining us today,” Jacob greeted, eyes ticking from Mackenzie to Nick, and back. He had to admit that he was really looking forward to today. Unlike some of the members on this council, he was rooting for the newborn to do well. Nick deserved to have some good luck in his life after all of the bad that had happened to him. And this was a way for Jacob to make up for the way he'd had to rip Madison away from Nick five years ago. Well, as long as this girl had as much control as Nick gave her credit for. If that was really the case, Jacob had no doubt this meeting was going to go swimmingly. 

He made it sound so casual – like Nick and Mackenzie were here on their own free will. Mackenzie could think of a thousand other places she'd rather be right now. But, they were stuck here, and Nick had warned her to be polite to the elders. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be here,” Mackenzie responded, her eyes moving from Jacob to the others, and back.

Pale gray eyes locked on Mackenzie. “That's enough of the niceties,” William barked impatiently. “Let's get down to business.” William was the second oldest member of the council, and he hated waiting. He had no interest in making friends with this newborn. All he wanted to do was get this meeting over so he could get back to his room and feed from his donor. She hadn't been feeling well this morning, so William hadn't had a chance to eat. Now, he was feeling it. 

Although no one really had any interest in how much of the history and garbage Nick had been teaching her, Jacob wanted to keep up appearances. Yesterday, he'd told Nick it was important for her to know these things, and on some level, it was. But all they cared about was seeing this girl feed. If she had as much control as Nick claimed, she may actually be a great asset to their clan. So, they'd gone through every bit of history they could think of and quizzed Mackenzie on various things – what they were allowed to do, what they weren't, what sorts of things could hurt and kill them. She passed with flying colors, and everyone was pleased.

Now, it was time for the moment that everyone had been waiting for. Natalia could hardly wait. “Have you learned how to feed?” she hissed at the girl. “And I don't mean from one of those pesky blood bags, child. I mean from an actual body.” Her eyes locked on Nick's as she continued, “I believe Nicholas mentioned that he was going to teach you.” 

“Y-Yes, I have,” Mackenzie answered, angry with herself because of the way her voice cracked. For some reason, there was just something about this woman that caused a chill to run up Mackenzie's spine. She could tell this elder didn't like her, but it was more than that. Something in her eyes was telling Mackenzie that she wanted to see her fail.

When Nick came up behind her, he placed his palm on the small of her back, which caused her to jump slightly. This was not good right now. She couldn't be nervous or scared while she was feeding. Mackenzie needed to be focused – how was she supposed to focus when she was freaking out?! Taking a deep breath, she allowed her body to relax against Nick, knowing that she was safe with him. Mackenzie knew what she was doing. They'd practiced this so many times the night before, and each time, she'd done better than the last. She was ready for this moment.

It was very clear that Mackenzie was nervous. Natalia had that effect on people. Nick hated that Mackenzie had to be here in front of Natalia like this. He wanted to keep her as far away from his sire as possible, and now they were in the same room. Anger was boiling inside him again he kept his gaze on Natalia for a few more moments. He wanted to gouge her eyes out with his bare hands and feed them to her. That would wipe that smug look off her face, Nick was sure.

Again, Connor's words from the night before rang through Nick's head. He knew exactly how to push Natalia's buttons. He'd spent the better part of 300 years with her, after all – he knew what made her squirm. And the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to see her drop down a peg or two. She thought she was the greatest thing ever – Nick wanted to show her otherwise. 

Without another thought, Nick reached for the hem of his T-shirt, pulling the fabric off his body. He reached for Mackenzie's hands, placing one in his hair and the other on his hip. Sparks shot through his body at the contact – maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. No, he wanted to make this as painful as possible for Natalia to watch – the bitch was going to regret ever making him teach Mackenzie how to feed this early. Slowly, his hand moved to card through Mackenzie's brunette locks, pulling the newborn's mouth against his neck. Onyx eyes locked with Natalia's piercing baby blues, daring her to say something. 

Confusion was clear on Mackenzie's face when Nick removed his shirt. They hadn't done that the night before. Maybe this was just so Nick didn't get blood on his shirt. The night before, he'd been a mess when they'd finished. Blood was hard to get out of clothes – Mackenzie knew that from experience. The clothing she'd been wearing when she came here was ruined because she'd been overzealous with her meal that first night. She watched as Nick moved her hands where he wanted them, biting into her bottom lip as she felt her body responding to Nick. Her fangs elongated with want, fingers biting into Nick's flesh when he pulled her against his neck.

A low growl erupted from Nick's throat when he felt Mackenzie's fangs dig into his tender flesh. The neck was more intimate than the wrist – that's why he'd chosen this particular spot for the elders. It was harder to stop when there was such a strong connection, and Nick knew it. If they wanted to see Mackenzie's control, he wasn't going to allow her to hold anything back. His hands moved to Mackenzie's biceps, remembering through the haze of arousal that he told her to stop when he squeezed her arm. They still had time though, and Nick was going to give her until the last second. He trusted her.

The elder vampires watched in amazement as the newborn fed from her teacher. Anyone in the room with half a brain could see how this was affecting both vampires – it was a rare sight. Jacob's eyes ticked over to Natalia, watching the woman as her child was fed on by another. He remembered many times when she had asked Nick to open a vein for her, and he'd refused. Though, Jacob had to admit, he was enjoying this a little more than he should. Natalia deserved to have this happen to her. After all, it was her bright idea to argue about Mackenzie knowing how to feed. Turning his attention back to the vampires in front of him, Jacob leaned back in his chair. He wanted to see how this all played out.

As much as Nick didn't want this to end just yet, he knew that if he allowed Mackenzie to keep going, she was going to take too much. Gently, he gripped her bicep, silently ordering her to stop what she was doing. Only when she pulled back did Nick break the eye contact with Natalia, instead turning his attention to Mackenzie. His thumb ran along her bottom lip, collecting the blood that spilled out of her mouth before he pushed his thumb between her lips.

Mackenzie's onyx eyes slipped closed when Nick shoved his thumb into her mouth, sucking the blood from his finger hungrily. She instantly felt the loss when he pulled back. That had been...different. She had to admit that she was a little disappointed when Nick pulled his T-shirt back on, hiding his well muscled body from prying eyes. 

Her attention was pulled away from Nick and back to the council when Jacob spoke. “That was...impressive,” he admitted. “The amount of control you just showed is that of a vampire at least twice your age. Even then, some of them can't keep it under control like you just did.” Glancing at his fellow council members, Jacob continued, “I think we've seen enough to know that you've passed this check-in. Do you all agree?”

When he received the nod from each member, Jacob turned his attention back to Mackenzie. “Congratulations,” he smiled at her. “You've passed the first part of your training. We will see you back here in exactly one week for your next session. Mackenzie, you are excused. Nick, please wait outside until we call you back in for further instructions.”

With that, Jacob waved both Nick and Mackenzie off. As soon as the doors were closed behind them, Mackenzie smiled at Nick. “I passed!” she squealed with excitement, throwing herself into Nick's arms without even thinking about it. However, she quickly pulled back when she realized what she was doing, clearing her throat to break the silence. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I'm just...excited.” Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as she suggested, “Nick, we should have a party! You know, celebrate the fact that I just passed the first interrogation!”

In all honesty, Nick hated parties. There were too many people around, bodies bumping against each other, and everything was so loud. But he was happy for Mackenzie, and he did want to congratulate her. “How about we invite Connor and his...fling, or whatever she is, over for the evening?” he suggested instead, figuring he could at least handle that. “We can have drinks, and listen to music, and whatever else you wanna do. How's that sound?”

A small smile came to Mackenzie's lips when Nick offered to have visitors in his room. “That sounds great!” she answered, excitement rolling off her in waves. “We should change though if we're going to be having guests over.” Neither of them looked ready for company. Nick was wearing a T-shirt and baggy jeans, and Mackenzie had on a tank top with jeans. Parties were something that required being dressed up for. And Mackenzie hadn't been able to dress up for anything in a long time – she wanted an excuse to do it now.

“We can change when get back to my room,” Nick assured her with a smile. He could tell that she was excited, and he couldn't blame her. Since she'd gotten there, Mackenzie had basically been secluded in Nick's room – she'd had almost no contact with anyone else. It was for her own good, but Nick could still understand why she was so eager to have company. Sure, she'd spoken to her mother and her friend Adrian every day, but it wasn't as if she was allowed to see them. Nick knew there was a big difference between phone conversations and actual meetings in person. “Let me just finish up here and then we can leave.”

As if the council had heard him, the doors opened once more. The same small girl ushered Nick inside the room, closing the doors after him so Mackenzie was left in the hallway alone. Once he was close enough for their liking, Jacob spoke. “You were right about the girl's control, Nick. She is quite amazing, as you put it. We've decided that by next week, we want to see her improve even more. She needs to be fed on at the next meeting. I'm assuming you will be the one doing the feeding?”

Unexpected jealousy sparked inside Nick at the thought of anyone else tasting Mackenzie. “Yes, it will be me,” he all but growled, eyes ticking towards Natalia to see how angry she was with this situation. He knew that the idea of Nick feeding from anyone else made her blood boil – she was doing a terrible job of hiding that.

The rest of the council didn't seem to notice Natalia's rage, Jacob continuing with the stipulations for the next meeting. “Also, we want her to have mastered compulsion. You know as well as any of us that our ability to compel humans is one of our most valuable traits.” Jacob knew that compulsion was sometimes tough to catch onto, but after seeing Mackenzie's progress today, he was sure she'd have no problem. “If you have no questions, you are excused.”

Almost as soon as Nick disappeared through the doors, he was emerging once more. “So?” Mackenzie asked eagerly, following after Nick as he all but ran away from the council's quarters. “What did they say, Nick? What do they want me to be able to learn in the next week?”

One week was hardly enough time to learn new skills as far as Mackenzie was concerned. It was like they were setting her up for failure. Sure, she'd been able to master feeding, but that was just in her nature, she supposed. From here on out, the check-ins weren't going to be so easy, she was assuming. After all, that woman on the council wanted her dead – Mackenzie could tell just from the way she looked at her. If anything, she was going to try her hardest to make Mackenzie's life a living Hell, she was sure.

Right now, the last thing Nick wanted to talk about was the council. He'd had enough of them to last him a week. “Mackenzie, can we talk about it later?” he all but pleaded. “Can't we just focus on the little get together we're having tonight? You know, happy things?” Nick thought Mackenzie deserved a little happiness after all the darkness that was now in her life. “I'll tell you what they said tomorrow, okay?”

Although she wanted to be prepared for whatever they were going to throw at her, it was clear Nick didn't want to discuss this. “Yeah, I guess so,” she answered, biting into her bottom lip. The rest of the trip back to Nick's room was done in silence. Mackenzie could tell there was something bothering him, and she didn't want to push.

When they finally made it back, Nick relaxed slightly. “So, why don't you get dressed, and I'll go get Connor?” he suggested. “We can have them come over around 9:00?” That gave them both enough time to change and get showers. And Nick definitely needed a shower. Receiving the nod from Mackenzie, Nick headed out of the room.

Before he even knocked on the door, Connor pulled it open, ushering him inside. “I've been waiting for you all day,” Connor explained, eyes locked expectantly on his best friend. “Well?!” he asked when he received nothing but a blank stare from Nick. “What happened at the interrogation?! You're not pissed off and breaking shit, so I'm assuming Mackenzie is still alive.”

Rolling his eyes, Nick answered, “Of course she's still alive. I'm not a complete fuck up, you know?” Nick was a little offended that Connor thought he couldn't keep Mackenzie alive. Actually, it made him feel a little less confident about this whole thing. Especially after hearing what they wanted her to tackle next. “It was uneventful, Connor, okay? We went in there, they asked questions, and then I pissed Natalia off. That's all that happened.”

Now that Connor knew Nick had pissed off Natalia, there was no way he was letting Nick stop there. “You pissed off Natalia?!” he laughed, flopping onto his couch. “Don't keep me in suspense, dude! What did you do?” Finally, Nick was taking his advice on something. It was a proud moment for Connor.

The last thing Nick wanted to be doing right now was talking to Connor about his time with the council. He hadn't even given Connor the whole story in the first place, and he didn't want to go into detail about it now. But he could tell from the look on Connor's face that he wasn't going to let this go. “I let Mackenzie feed from me,” he explained, not wanting to go into a lot of detail.

There was no way in Hell Connor was letting Nick off the hook that easily. “Excuse me?” he asked, brows knit in confusion. “You let another vampire feed from you? Mister, there's no way in Hell another vampire is sinking its fangs into my flesh?” He had to admit, he was a little impressed. As far as he knew, Madison hadn't even had the luxury of feeding from Nick. This girl must have been pretty damn special. “Wow. I could see how Natalia would be mad about that. Hasn't she been asking for a taste since she turned you, practically?”

Again, Nick rolled his eyes at Connor's words. “Yes, all right?” he hissed, trying to stop Connor from getting too excited. “I didn't have a choice! Natalia suggested to the council that Mackenzie needed to feed in order to get through this first check in, and I don't want her around humans yet. I was the only option. My back was against the wall – I didn't have a choice.”

It didn't take a genius to see that Nick didn't want to talk about this. And although it gave Connor great pleasure knowing that Nick was finally letting loose, he didn't want to torture his friend. “So, why'd you come here?” he asked, wiggling further into his seat. “Needed to be away from your girl for a while? I was just about to watch some porn. Stella's coming over later. I wanna be ready for –”

“Don't finish that sentence!” Nick warned, index finger pointed firmly at Connor. The last thing he wanted to be thinking about was whatever Connor may be doing with his female companions. “Mackenzie wants to celebrate her win,” he explained. “I told her that I'd invite you over for drinks. It'll be kind of like a party, I guess. But don't invite anyone else. I mean, you can bring...Stella, if you want to, but no one else. This is a small party.”

Connor liked parties just as much as the next vampire, so he surely wasn't going to turn down the invitation to have some fun. “Yeah, we can come over,” he assured his friend. “After we're done having a little fun of our own.” 

Honestly, Nick could care less about what Connor did with his body. “Just be there by 9:00, okay?” he ordered. “Mackenzie doesn't really get a lot of interaction with other people, so I'm sure she's looking forward to this.” With that, Nick headed to the door, ready to leave so he could get changed. “And don't do anything stupid, please? Mackenzie is a newborn – she's impressionable. The last thing I need is for her to start acting like you.”

He couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from his throat when Connor called after him that he was a dick. Sure, that was kind of rude, but it was true, more or less. Connor was a good vampire – a good friend to Nick – but the world only needed one Connor. Any more would just disrupt the balance of things. Not that Nick thought Mackenzie would start acting like Connor, but he didn't want to run the risk.

Once he made it back to his room, Nick quickly hopped in the shower. It had been a long day already, and he knew this night was going to be even longer. If he hadn't felt so bad about her lack of contact with others, Nick probably would have told Mackenzie they weren't having this get together. Connor could get a little carried away when there was a party. Nick knew they were all about to consume too much alcohol, and more than likely hate themselves when they woke up the next day. But, Mackenzie deserved a party, so that's what he was going to give her.

**~~**

By the time Connor came over, it was around 9:30, Nick shooting him one of his irritated glances before he allowed him and Stella into the room. Honestly, he was surprised that Connor had listened and didn't invite more people to this little shindig. Once he had the door closed, he turned towards his guests, eyes landing on Mackenzie. She looked like she was happy – having fun at least. It was nice to see her just cut loose and let go.

As the evening went on, Nick basically stuck to himself. He had no desire to get to know Stella because he knew she wasn't going to be staying, and Connor was spending most of his time with Mackenzie. Nick knew that he was supplying her with way too much alcohol, but he was going to let it slide. This was a party, after all. And vampires didn't really suffer from hangovers, so he was determined to let the girl have her fun. At least for tonight.

“You little slut,” Connor teased as he plopped down beside Nick on the couch. He had a wide grin on his lips and he smelled of Peach Schnapps. That must have been Stella's drink of choice. Nick was well aware that Connor preferred whiskey over all else.

Frowning, Nick gave his head a small shake. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he assured his friend, reaching for her beer and taking a long pull from the bottle. “You smell like Peach Schnapps and sex. And you have the audacity to call me a slut. Need I remind you who was ready to settle down and be with one girl for the rest of his existence?”

That stupid grin stayed plastered on Connor's lips as he slapped Nick's chest playfully. “Don't try to act all innocent,” Connor accused. “Mackenzie told me about your little display for the council. Now, why would one have to remove his shirt to be fed from?” He made a move like he was genuinely thinking about his question before he burst out laughing. “He wouldn't. You did that on purpose. I just can't figure out if you did it for Mackenzie's benefit, or to get under Natalia's skin.”

A deep blush came to Nick's cheeks at Connor's admittance that he knew about the blood sharing. “Obviously, I did it to get at Natalia,” he assured Connor. “It worked.” Again, he frowned at Connor. “And that's it, Mackenzie is cut off. No more alcohol for her if she's going to be spewing everything to you.”

Now it was Connor's turn to frown. “Awww, but Dad, it's a party,” he complained. “And we're all consenting adults here. I think.” Again, he frowned, glancing towards Mackenzie. “Is she even old enough to drink?”

Honestly, Nick didn't know how old Mackenzie was. “Um...I don't know,” he answered with a shake of his head. “Do you care?” Usually, Connor wasn't all that concerned with rules – especially rules that humans had put into play. As a vampire, there was no age limit for drinking. Most vampires never made it to their twenty first birthday as a human, so it would have been stupid to inflict those kinds of rules. 

Shrugging, Connor shook his head. “No, not at all,” he confirmed. “Come drink with us. You're doing that thing where you're being a recluse again.” He almost pout as he continued, “You know I hate it when you do that. You get all broody and lock yourself up for days with no contact to the outside world. It's not good for your head, man.”

“I am not being a recluse,” Nick argued, taking another swig of his beer as he shot Connor an angry glare. There had been many times in the past that Nick had gone into these recluse stages, as Connor liked to call them. But now was not one of those times. “I just have a lot on my mind. It's been a stressful week. And the next three aren't going to be any better, I'm sure.”

Again, Connor shrugged. “I don't know, I kinda like her,” he smiled, eyes locking on Mackenzie. He still couldn't get over the resemblance between her and Madison. It was uncanny. And he was sure it was hard on Nick. Looking at that girl every day had to remind him of the woman he'd lost. Still, Connor was determined to get Nick out of his funk that he'd been in for the last five years. He needed to get his friend back to the happy vampire he'd been when he was with Madison. And Connor was convinced that Mackenzie was his ticket. “Come on,” he complained, grabbing Nick's wrist and dragging him off the couch. “We're drinking over here. Pretty girls. Come on.”

Although Nick was protesting, he didn't actually try to stop Connor from dragging him to the heart of the party. His eyes landed on Mackenzie, watching her as she drank with Stella. He hoped she didn't get too attached to her – Connor's conquests never stuck around for too long. Connor was hollering at him to loosen up, so Nick figured he should at least try to have a good time. 

They drank, and they danced, and they just talked about nothing for the rest of the night. By the time the sun came up, all four of them had drank their fill and passed out sporadically around the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Mackenzie's head felt fuzzy as she slowly pulled herself from sleep. Realization was sinking in, Mackenzie able to tell that she was in Nick's bed at least. There was someone in the bed with her though, her mind instantly trying to retrace her steps from last night. Connor had been here with his girlfriend, and Nick was here too. They had been celebrating – oh God, she must have had too much to drink. Did vampires even get hangovers? She wasn't sure, but this couldn't be good.

As she lifted her head from the chest of the person with her, Mackenzie silently begged whoever was listening that she wasn't in the bed with Connor. Not that she didn't like Connor – he was a cool guy from what she could tell – but she did not want to be sleeping with him. 

She wasn't sure whether to be relieved, or even more frantic when she saw that she was with Nick. They'd never been in the same bed together. Sure, it felt nice to be with him like this – her head resting on his chest, and his arm slung over her protectively – but it was wrong. They'd both been drinking last night, and this just wasn't how she wanted their first time sleeping together to be. 

Without moving too much, careful not to wake Nick just yet, Mackenzie turned towards the couch. No one else was in the room, which meant Connor and Stella must have already taken off. She didn't even know what time it was. What she did know, however, was that she was hungry. Turning her attention back to Nick, Mackenzie gently shoved him. “Nick,” she whispered. “Nick, wake up.”

When Nick felt someone nudging at him, he had half a mind to shove them away. He wasn't ready to wake up yet. Hell, he felt like he'd just fallen asleep not too long ago. Surely, it couldn't be time to wake up just yet. He could smell Mackenzie all around him, so he figured she was the one trying to wake him up before he was ready. She wouldn't just wake him up for no reason. Mackenzie was probably hungry.

Slowly, Nick blinked his eyes open. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was wrapped around Mackenzie, Nick quickly pulling back, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red. His hand quickly moved to the blankets, gripping them tightly as he pulled them up to his waist. Of course, he knew that it wouldn't matter if he was hiding his arousal – Mackenzie could smell it if she was paying attention. Quickly, Nick scanned the rest of the room, realizing that Connor and Stella were already gone. “How long have you been awake?” Nick asked, trying to strike up conversation.

“Not long,” Mackenzie answered with a shake of her head. “I just woke up a couple of minutes ago. I was going to let you sleep, but...I'm hungry.” She hated that she had to bother Nick every time she was hungry, but this was his home. She didn't want to just walk around like she owned the place and take all of his blood bags. 

Of course she was hungry. The last time she'd fed was when she was showing the council that she'd fulfilled their stupid demands. And even then, she hadn't taken enough to satiate her appetite. “Okay,” he breathed, pushing himself out of the bed and moving towards the fridge. “You know, you are allowed to get your own food. I won't yell at you if you wanna grab your own blood bag.”

A small smile came to Mackenzie's lips when Nick spoke. “Yeah, I know,” she fibbed, pushing herself out of the bed as well. “I just...don't want to eat all of your food. I mean, you have to eat, too, right?” Come to think of it, Mackenzie never really saw Nick eat. Surely, he couldn't survive without eating, so he had to be getting food from somewhere. Maybe he was just shy, and he didn't want to eat in front of her.

Blood bag in hand, Nick moved towards Mackenzie, not missing the way their fingers brushed against each other when he handed her the bag. It seemed like each time they touched now, sparks would shoot through Nick's body – this time was no different. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she'd tasted his blood. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that this kind of thing had never happened to him before, and he wanted to know what was going on. “You don't have to worry about eating all of my food,” he assured her with a shake of his head. “I can easily go get more whenever I need to.”

Honestly, blood bags weren't really Nick's cup of tea. Sure, they worked in a pinch, but he preferred to get his blood straight from the vein. Any self respecting vampire felt the same. Of course, Nick hadn't fed on anyone since Mackenzie came here. He'd been on the blood bag diet right there with her. But there was something else he could think of that he wanted – something that his body almost craved, it seemed. Soon enough, he was going to get what he wanted – the council made sure of that.

Mackenzie gladly took the bag when it was offered to her, pulling it open and drinking hungrily. A small frown came to her lips when she realized that the blood just wasn't hitting the spot like it usually did. She tried to hide her disappointment as she took another swig, but she wasn't sure she was doing a good job of it. 

Her fears were confirmed when Nick asked her what was wrong. Slowly, she allowed the straw to slip from her lips, giving her head a small shake. “N-Nothing,” she assured him, knowing as soon as the words came out of her mouth that she was a terrible liar. “I don't know,” she answered with a small sigh. “It just doesn't...taste like it usually does.” Frowning at the bag as she held it up to her eyes, Mackenzie suggested, “Maybe this is a bad batch, or something.”

It definitely wasn't a bad batch. Nick knew exactly what the problem was – the realization had him twitching in his jeans once more. “I don't think that's what the problem is,” he assured her, clearing his throat nervously. He made his way back to the bed then, taking his seat on the edge of it. “Now that you've had something other than the blood bags, they just can't compare,” he explained, rolling up his sleeve as he did. “Your body knows what it wants now. And those blood bags aren't going to take away your hunger.”

As Nick rolled up his sleeve, Mackenzie couldn't help but stare. Was he offering to give her what she really wanted? She wasn't going to make the first move, that was for sure. After all, she had been under the impression that Nick was only feeding her because she needed to practice for the council. But that was over and done with – she'd passed that test with flying colors. There was no need now for her to continue feeding from Nick. Was there? 

The look of confusion on Mackenzie's face was actually kind of adorable. She was just standing there like she was in shock, or something – damn, she was beautiful. “I can feed you,” he assured her, holding out his wrist. “If you want. Or, you can force yourself to drink from that blood bag. The choice is yours.” Nick wanted her to choose him, but he wasn't going to force her.

“Y-Yeah,” Mackenzie breathed when Nick offered to feed her, tossing the blood bag in the trash can. She kept her movements slow as she walked towards Nick, not wanting to let him know how badly she wanted this. She took a seat on the bed beside Nick when she was close enough, onyx eyes ticking from Nick's wrist to his eyes, and back. “Why are you still offering to feed me?” she asked, unable to keep the question from spilling out.

A small frown came to Nick's lips at Mackenzie's question. “Why wouldn't I?” he asked softly, eyes locking with the newborns. “Do you think just because you showed the council that you can feed from me without hurting me that you don't need more practice?” Shaking his head, Nick continued, “You need as much practice as you can get, Mackenzie. So, until you feel like you're ready to feed from someone other than me, I'll help you.”

In all honesty, Mackenzie wasn't sure she wanted to learn how to feed from someone other than Nick. He was tasty, and she knew that she couldn't hurt him if she went too far. It was the perfect set up, as far as she was concerned. “Okay,” she breathed, giving Nick a small nod. “Don't worry,” she started, tongue sliding over her fangs, “I won't drain you.”

Nick chuckled softly at Mackenzie's words, knowing the newborn was trying to be smart with him. Perhaps she'd spent a little too much time with Connor last night. His own fangs elongated when Mackenzie tore into his flesh, Nick instantly feeling the arousal start to take hold once more. Maybe he was becoming addicted to this. Maybe that's why he offered to feed her again. After all, her control was impeccable. She didn't need to practice any more than Nick did.

Given the choice between having Mackenzie feed from his neck and his wrist, Nick had to go with the neck. There was something different about it – more primal. Allowing someone to feed from your wrist was nothing. Most vampires were created by other vampires allowing them to drink from their wrist. With the neck, it was more intimate. Nick wanted that closeness with Mackenzie right now.

Without realizing that he was even speaking, Nick breathed, “W-Wait, stop.” He instantly felt the loss when Mackenzie pulled back, deep black orbs locking with his equally dark eyes. 

“What's wrong?” Mackenzie asked, pulling away from Nick's wrist where she had been enjoying her meal. She knew she was nowhere near to the point of causing him any harm, so she didn't know what else the problem could be. All she did know was that she didn't want to stop. She was fighting everything inside her to keep from ripping back into his tender flesh.

Brows knit in a mixture of confusion and indecision, Nick shook his head. Deep down, he knew that he shouldn't tell her to feed from his neck instead. But he wanted it – and the wound on his wrist was already healed, so there was no reason to go back to that. Not really. “Drink from my neck instead,” he ordered, eyes never leaving Mackenzie's.

That was new. Usually, she fed from the wrist. She was actually shocked that Nick had allowed her to feed from his neck in front of the council. Then again, she figured that had something to do with the code they'd come up with for Nick to tell her when to stop. Still, if he was offering, Mackenzie wasn't going to turn him down. “Um...okay,” she breathed, moving to do as she was told. 

A deep growl escaped Nick when Mackenzie bit into his neck, his hands quickly moving to grip her biceps. His eyes slipped closed, his head falling to the side to allow Mackenzie better access – yeah, there was definitely a good chance he was addicted. He didn't care about that right now, though. All he cared about was Mackenzie. Without thinking, he reached up to card his fingers through her long, brunette curls, pulling her closer to him.

For some reason, the blood from Nick's neck tasted better than his wrist. Of course, she knew that she was probably imagining it, but that was her story, and she was sticking to it. She didn't miss the growl that escaped Nick when she bit into him, nor did she miss the way his fingers carded through her hair as she drank. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought Nick was enjoying this just as much as she was. 

After a few more moments, Mackenzie pulled back, her eyes ticking from Nick's eyes to the fingers in her hair and back. Without thinking, she surged forward, capturing Nick's lips in a bloody, sloppy kiss. Her hands moved to fist in his short cropped hair, her moans being swallowed up in their kiss.

When Mackenzie kissed him, Nick knew that he should have stopped her right there. But he was waging a war inside his own head at the moment, and the kiss was so good. Nick wanted this – he wanted to push Mackenzie into this mattress and take whatever she was willing to give him. But he couldn't. He allowed himself to get lost in it for a minute – but just a minute. Mackenzie's tongue was seeking entrance into his mouth, but he couldn't let it go further.

Using the grip he had on Mackenzie's biceps, Nick pushed her back, resting their foreheads together. “I'm sorry,” he breathed, fangs aching with how badly he wanted to continue this. “I can't. I-I should go.” He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, but he knew he couldn't stay here on this bed with her. Nick didn't trust himself to not allow this to happen again.

Before Mackenzie could protest, Nick was off the bed, the bathroom door slamming behind him. She hated it when he did these things. Sure, he'd confessed that there had been someone else in the past, and he wasn't ready to move on, but that didn't mean he had to tease her like this. Nick knew damn well that she wanted to be with him – that she was drawn to him – and he would give her a little, only to pull away. It wasn't fair!

Angrily, Mackenzie threw herself onto the bed, sighing in frustration. The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her own head and back into the present. Nick had been nice enough to go to the store and get her a new phone, since hers had been broken when she was turned. It was a way for her to keep in touch with people, which she was grateful for. Sure, it wasn't like being allowed out of here and being able to see them, but it was at least something. “Hello?” she answered when she found it, not even bothering to check the caller ID.

“Where are you, young lady?” her mother's voice came through the speaker. “I just got off the phone with your professor. Apparently, you haven't been at school. So I called Adrian, figuring she may have some answers for me. And after a lot of pushing, she finally told me that you've been missing for over a week!”

Great. Mackenzie really didn't need this right now. “Mom, it's not what you think,” she assured the woman, knowing that she was about to get an earful. Sure, she'd been calling her mother every day like she usually did – well, except for yesterday – but she'd been lying. Never in a million years did Mackenzie think one of her professors would rat her out. “I haven't been missing.”

There was a loud laugh on the other line before her mother spoke. “That's not how Adrian put it. She told me that when she went to your apartment to look for you last week, it looked like there had been a murder! Why didn't you tell me anything about this?!”

Rolling her eyes, Mackenzie made a mental note to text Adrian later and thank her for the argument she was having with her mother. “Mom, come on, it's not that bad,” she tried to soothe. “I didn't tell you because I'm fine! And I didn't want to worry you! My friend Nick took care of everything. I've been staying with him for a few days while I clear my head. I just...needed a break from everything. And I'm kind of waiting for the police to tell me they've caught the guy who broke in before I go back to school, and everything.”

Another laugh erupted from her mother, but Mackenzie knew she wasn't laughing because she thought any of this was funny. “So someone broke into your apartment and attacked you, and your answer was to go to a friend's house and hide out? All while lying to your mother about what is really going on in your life right now?”

Well, when it was put like that, it sounded like a terrible idea. But it wasn't like Mackenzie could just come out and tell her mother that she had been attacked by a vampire, and now she was one of them. “I didn't want to worry you,” Mackenzie tried again, not really sure what else to say at this point.

“Well, you did a real bang up job of that, Mackenzie!” her mother shouted. “I had to find out about all of this from other people in your life. And I don't even know who this Nick person is that you're staying with.” A soft sob escaped her mother. “How could you do this to me, Mac? Especially after everything that happened with Maddie? Why would you put me through this now? You should have just told me the truth! You could have come here, and stayed with your father and me!”

At the mention of her sister, Mackenzie froze. She hated it when her mother brought her up. It wasn't like Mackenzie had purposely done this to her mother – she'd had no say in what was going on with her life right now! “I'm sorry, Mom,” she whispered in reply, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “I didn't mean to make you worry. But I'm fine, I swear. And I'm going to be getting back to school soon.”

Sorry just wasn't enough right now. “I want you to come home. Right now,” her mother ordered. “And don't even think about arguing with me Mackenzie Grace! This is not up for discussion!” 

Her mother had always been protective of her, but this was a little bit ridiculous. There was no way Nick was going to allow her to leave this room. She wasn't even allowed to go into the hallway, let alone on a road trip! However, when her mother told her that it wasn't up for discussion, Mackenzie knew she was going to have to think of something. “Mom, it's almost 11:00!” she complained. “I can't just leave in the middle of the night without warning!” That should at least buy her a little time.

Although she wanted to see Mackenzie for herself – actually be able to make sure she wasn't physically harmed – her daughter made a good point. “Fine,” she all but groaned. “First thing in the morning, then. Text me when you leave. And don't make me come find you, young lady, because you know I will.”

With that, Mackenzie's mother hung up the phone, causing Mackenzie to jump slightly. She knew her mother wasn't joking when she said she'd come find her herself. Sighing, she tossed her cell phone onto the nightstand, throwing her arm over her eyes. How the hell was she going to convince Nick to let her go to her mother's house in the morning?

**~~**

As soon as Nick was in the bathroom, he could think straight again. He really needed to stop doing this – putting himself in situations where he needed to run away from Mackenzie. Not only was it bad for him, but he was sure that it probably made Mackenzie think he was a real dick. It wasn't that he didn't want her – he did! That was the problem.

He could practically hear Connor telling him to get the stick out of his ass as he moved towards the shower. Maybe it was true – maybe he was being a little too uptight about this whole thing. Sighing, he turned on the water, not bothering with the hot water nozzle. In his current condition, he didn't need any hot water. 

Once he had his clothes off, Nick stepped under the cold spray, hissing in his breath. Damn, he hated cold showers. But this was the only way to get himself composed again. This shower wasn't about getting clean – it was about forgetting how aroused Mackenzie made him. Luckily, the cold water worked wonders on his body, so he didn't have to stay under the spray for too long. 

He quickly jumped out of the shower as soon as his penis wasn't erect anymore, Nick glaring down at it. “Quit it,” he chastised his member. “You can't think like that about her.” Rolling his eyes, Nick grabbed the jeans he'd been wearing before he climbed into the shower. “Great,” he sighed, pulling his pants back on. “Now, I'm talking to my own dick.” He was definitely losing his mind – Nick was sure of it, now.

When Nick grabbed his Henley, he realized that it had blood on it. Again, he sighed, head falling back as he glared at the ceiling. Someone up there must have hated him. Not that he could blame them – he'd done a lot of bad things in his lifetime. But he was trying to atone for them! Didn't that give him at least some credit?!

Tossing the shirt aside, Nick opened the bathroom door, heading towards the dresser. Angrily, he pulled the drawer open, tossing shirts aside until he found a blue Henley that he was willing to wear. He could feel Mackenzie's eyes on him, but he refused to turn around. There was no need to tease the girl more than he already had for one evening. After all, he wasn't a complete jerk – at least he didn't think so.

Only when he had his shirt firmly in place did Nick turn, brows knit in confusion when his eyes landed on Mackenzie. She looked perplexed. Nick really hoped that it didn't have anything to do with him. He already felt bad enough about his little slip up – he didn't need anything making him feel worse. “What's wrong?” he finally asked, biting into his bottom lip as his eyes roamed over Mackenzie.

“My mother called,” Mackenzie answered, figuring that it was pointless to try to ease her way into this. “Apparently, one of my professors got a hold of her. They told her everything, Nick.” Her cheeks reddened with anger as she continued, “She was pissed. And hurt! She demanded that I come home. Now.”

A deep frown came to Nick's lips when Mackenzie suggested that she go home. “It's 11:00 at night,” he reminded, shaking his head. Of course, 11:00 was early for a vampire, but humans needed their sleep. Nick wasn't sure where Mackenzie's mother lived, but he assumed it was a good hour away, at least. After all, the mansion was forty five minutes away from Mackenzie's college, and he was assuming she lived somewhat close to her school.

Rolling her eyes, Mackenzie shook her head. “I know what time it is,” she assured Nick. “And that's what I told her. But she wants me there tomorrow. She wants me to leave your place in the morning, and be there by the evening.” She could tell that Nick wasn't too fond of this plan, but she didn't have any other options. It was her mother.

There was no way in Hell Nick was letting Mackenzie leave this mansion. She may have been able to control herself with him, but that didn't mean she could do the same with someone else – especially a human. And she was bound to run into one of those if she left. Humans were...fragile, to put it mildly. If Mackenzie slipped up, there was no way a mere human would be able to fight her off. It was just too dangerous. “I don't think that's a good idea,” he finally answered, giving his head a small shake.

Of course, Mackenzie knew that was going to be the answer. But she wasn't about to give up just yet. “Nick, you don't understand,” she argued. “You don't know my mother. She will come looking for me if I don't show up there tomorrow. And when she can't find me, don't you think that's going to draw unwanted attention your way?” She knew how much vampires hated attention being drawn their way. Nick had been very clear on that.

For a second, Nick thought Mackenzie was threatening him. “She won't be able to find you even if she does come,” he assured her. “No one knows you're here. You're not going to tell her about this place. She'd be killed before she even walked through the doors. And if she runs around the school looking for some guy named Nick, she's not going to find anything. Your college is almost an hour away from here.”

Anger gripped Mackenzie tightly when Nick suggested that her mother would be killed if she tried to come here. She wasn't stupid enough to lead her mother to a mansion full of vampires. But she did need to see her – Mackenzie didn't want her mother worrying about her when there was absolutely no need for it. After her sister's disappearance, her mother had been through enough for one lifetime. “Nick, I have to see her!” she insisted, pushing herself off the bed and stepping in front of him – challenging him.

It didn't take a genius to realize that Mackenzie was trying to challenge him. The action had Nick growing hard in his jeans once more. “You're a vampire now!” he reminded, not backing down. “Seeing your mother could mean a world of different things! Who's to say that you won't attack her when you see her?! You haven't been around humans since you turned! You may think you have everything under control, but you don't!” His eyes roamed over her form then, licking his lips. “Just because you can follow orders and stop drinking from me when I tell you to, doesn't mean you can stop when there's a writhing, unwilling body under you!”

Vampires were predatory beings. The hunt kept them going. So many deaths were caused by the sheer panic a human experienced when they were being fed on. It made the blood taste so much better when they were scared. Nick remembered that part well. And while he'd never killed a human without intending to, he knew vampires who had slipped up. And no one could afford that right now. 

Disgust was clear on her face when Nick spoke about unwilling donors. Mackenzie didn't care that she was a vampire. She would never hurt someone like that. “I wouldn't do that!” she assured him, confident in her own self control. She needed to make Nick understand that she wasn't taking no for an answer. One way or another, she was going to see her mother the next day. “Nick, when we lost my sister, my mother was broken. She didn't leave her room for almost an entire month. I took care of her! I won't let her think that she's lost me, too!” 

Nick felt his heart break when he saw the tear sliding down Mackenzie's cheek. He hadn't meant to upset her. All he was doing was trying to keep her safe. Without thinking, he reached out, cupping her cheek as he brushed the tear away with his thumb. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, feeling like a jerk for being so harsh with her. “I didn't mean to upset you. I just...don't think it's a good idea.” However, he could see that he wasn't going to win this battle. “But...if she insists upon seeing you, I guess we can go for a few hours. At least then she won't be able to draw any unwanted attention to us.”

He hadn't expected the hug that followed, Nick almost tumbling over with the force of Mackenzie diving into his arms. A wide smile came to his lips as he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. Nick liked being this close to Mackenzie – having her scent wash over him almost made him calm, in a way. It was like she had no fear. She was new – she should be afraid of being out in the world with people. But Mackenzie wasn't. Instead, she was assuring him that she wouldn't hurt people. And honestly, Nick believed her.

Still, that didn't mean Nick wasn't going to keep a close eye on her. He was no fool. Even the best of vampires slipped up here and there. Nick was going to do everything in his power to make sure Mackenzie didn't do anything to get herself into trouble. After all, he'd saved her from death – he wasn't looking to watch her burn any time in the near future.

Too soon, the hug ended, making Nick feel empty. “I'm going with you,” he reiterated, wanting to make sure she hadn't missed it when he said we can go. At her nod, Nick returned the gesture. “If you feel like it's too much for you to handle at any point, let me know. I'll get you out of there faster than any human can blink.”

Hearing Nick's words, Mackenzie felt a sense of calm wash over her. Nick was so good at taking care of her. That's why she wasn't worried about this trip. Nick would be there to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. She was counting on it. “Promise me something,” she whispered, biting into her bottom lip as her eyes locked on Nick's.

There was a piece of hair that kept falling into Mackenzie's face – it was distracting him. Nick reached out and pushed the strands behind her ear, fingers lingering on her face longer than they had to. “Anything,” he assured her, not breaking the eye contact she'd initiated.

“If something happens,” she started, tongue darting out to lick her lips when Nick finally pulled his hand away. “If I lose control and I hurt someone, you have to stop me. Nick, promise that you'll kill me if I can't control myself.” Blinking to effectively break the eye contact she had with Nick, Mackenzie allowed her eyes to focus on the floor. “I don't want to hurt anyone.”

Again, Nick's heart broke for Mackenzie. She wasn't like the average vampire. Her feelings were still intact. Usually newborns were heartless. They were just out for blood. Well, most of them, anyway. Madison hadn't been like that either. Maybe that was another reason Nick was so drawn to Mackenzie – not only did she look like Madison, but she acted a lot like her, too. “You're not going to hurt anyone,” he assured her, index finger pressed against her chin as he forced her to look into his eyes again. “I'll be there with you the whole time. I won't let you lose control.”

She trusted him. Mackenzie knew Nick was being truthful. “Thank you,” she smiled, squeezing Nick's bicep before she moved past him. “I'm gonna take a shower and get ready to go. I don't want to keep my mom waiting long. She wakes up early.”

Nick groaned to himself at the idea of having to meet Mackenzie's family. He wasn't necessarily a “family man.” Hell, when he'd turned into a vampire, he'd left his family and hadn't looked back. Unfortunately, Mackenzie clearly wasn't going to do that. Sighing, he threw himself onto the bed, flicking on the television to pass the time. They were going to have a long day ahead of them.


	7. Chapter 7

“So, are you going to tell me what the council wants to see from me next?” Mackenzie asked as she stared at the long stretch of road ahead of them. They'd been driving for almost an hour now and Mackenzie was getting restless. She didn't like long road trips – sitting in the car for long periods of time made her crazy.

In all honesty, Nick had forgotten about the council, and their demands for what they wanted Mackenzie to accomplish in the next week. He had more pressing issues on his mind. “Uh, well, they want you to learn compulsion,” he started, figuring it was best to start with the easy stuff. Maybe they could practice that while they were out and about today – it would save him from having to take her out in public again so soon.

Turning her attention away from the road, Mackenzie frowned at Nick. “What's compulsion?” she asked, thinking she may have an idea, but wanting to double check to be sure. “Is that like, mind control, or something?”

More or less, it was mind control. “Sort of,” he answered with a shrug. “It's a parlor trick. I have no doubt you'll catch on without a problem.” Again, Nick was reminded of how fragile the human mind was. As long as a vampire was well-fed, and they were able to keep the human's attention, compulsion was a walk in the park.

Mind control – that was pretty nifty. Surely that couldn't be all they wanted her to learn this week – especially if Nick was saying that it was nothing more than a trick. She wasn't lucky enough to be getting off that easily. “Okay,” she answered with a small nod, eyes still locked on Nick's. “What else?”

He didn't want to be talking about this right now. The thought of tasting Mackenzie had his nether regions interested, and there was no shower out on the middle of the highway for him to hide in. But he knew he couldn't just keep her in the dark about this. A week wasn't that long to master things, and Nick wanted her to be comfortable with the idea of being fed on. “They want you to be fed on,” he explained, eyes ticking towards her to see her reaction.

Well, that's not what she had been expecting. “Why?” she asked, not sure what the point of her being fed on was. She could understand why they would want to see her feed from someone, but this was different. It wasn't like vampires ran around feeding on each other all day – or maybe they did. Honestly, she still had no clue what a normal day in the life of a vampire consisted of.

To torture me. Nick was sure that's why they were doing it. “Well...when you go to parties or something like that, it's no uncommon for vampires to feed off one another,” Nick explained. That was the only logical answer Nick could come up with at the moment. “I guess they want you to be prepared for anything that might happen.”

The last thing Mackenzie wanted to do was go to a party and have another vampire feed on her. That didn't even sound good. A deep frown came to her lips at the thought of Nick being at parties – having slut vampires rubbing themselves all over him and drinking his blood. The thought bothered her. “Have you ever gone to a party and had a vampire drink your blood?” she asked, unable to keep the words from spilling out of her mouth.

“Absolutely not,” Nick answered, his face twisted in disgust. He wasn't into that scene – he considered blood sharing to be something special. He didn't just give his blood to anyone. “You're the only vampire I've ever allowed to drink from me,” he admitted, eyes ticking to Mackenzie to see her reaction. He wanted to be the only vampire she allowed to drink from her, as well.

When Nick told her that she was the only vampire to ever drink from him, Mackenzie felt better. Good – she didn't want other vampires to feed from him. She didn't know why, but she considered Nick hers. Maybe it was a vampire thing – she just felt possessive of him. As if a switch went off in her brain, it occurred to her that she was going to have to be fed on by another vampire. “So...um, are you going to be the one feeding from me?” she asked, biting into her bottom lip.

Nick wanted to scream at the top of his lungs that no other vampire was allowed to touch her, so of course it would be him, but he refrained. Barely. “I was planning on it, yes,” he answered instead, eyes ticking to Mackenzie briefly again before returning them to the road. “Unless you want another vampire to do it. I mean, I'm sure Jacob would be professional about it.”

Quickly, Mackenzie shook her head. “N-No. I want you to do it.” She felt her cheeks flush at the admission, but she didn't care. Clearly, whatever was between the two of them wasn't going anywhere, so why fight it? At least that's how Mackenzie saw it – Nick was on a completely different page though, she was sure. “Um, turn right up here. That driveway there is ours.”

Heat pooled low in his belly when Mackenzie admitted that she wanted him to do it. Damn, what was she doing to him. “Okay, then I'll do it.” Smiling softly, he bumped her shoulder. “Don't worry, I won't hurt you.” He made the right turn when instructed, pulling up behind the other car in the driveway and shifting the gear to park. “Alright, let's get this over with,” he mumbled to himself, pushing his door open and climbing out of the car.

Before Mackenzie even had a chance to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal her mother. She looked angry and relieved at the same time. Mackenzie could tell that she was scanning her for injuries, which Mackenzie knew she wouldn't find. One perk of being a vampire was that her body healed very quickly. “Hi Mom,” she greeted, wrapping her arms around the woman's neck and pulling her into an embrace. “This is Nick,” she introduced then, motioning towards him when he joined her on the porch. “My boyfriend.”

A wide smile came to the older woman's lips when Mackenzie introduced Nick as her boyfriend. She hadn't mentioned that she would be bringing guests – especially not a special friend. “Hi Nick, it's nice to meet you. I'm Annie.” She was so happy that Mackenzie seemed to be doing well for herself that she almost forgot why her daughter was here – almost. “Well you two, come on in. We're just about to have some lunch.”

Once they'd been invited in, Mackenzie and Nick followed after Annie as she led them to the kitchen. They stayed far enough way so she wouldn't hear them talking as Nick asked, “Boyfriend, huh?” Not that he was mad, or anything. He was just surprised. After all, they hadn't talked about how they were going to introduce him, so this was just as good of a cover story as any.

“I panicked,” Mackenzie admitted, her cheeks turning a bright red shade once more. “Besides, if she thinks we're dating, she won't be so mad about the whole school thing. Did you see how her face lit up when I said boyfriend? Just go with it.” She smiled at her mother when she turned her attention back to the couple, Mackenzie taking a seat at the table. 

It didn't take long for Annie to dive right into the point – she never had been one to beat around the bush. Mackenzie could tell that she was still mad, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. It was already done. “Look, I promise this won't mess up my grades,” Mackenzie assured her mother. “I have Adrian sending me all of the assignments, and I've been in contact with my professors through e-mail. I just needed to lay low for a while. You know, just in case that guy came back. I wanted to be somewhere I felt safe.”

Although she didn't like it, Annie supposed that she understood it. “Okay sweetie,” she finally cooed. “Just promise me that you won't do something like this again. I was shocked that I had to learn from other people about what's going on in your life.” Frowning, she added, “I thought we were closer than that, Mac.” When Mackenzie nodded, she smiled once more. “So, what are you two crazy kids up to for the weekend?”

Shaking her head, Mackenzie glanced at Nick, waiting for him to respond. When he gave her a blank stare, she figured she needed to take matters into her own hands. “Oh, nothing really. Just...studying. And maybe catching a movie, or something.” Taking Nick's hand in her own, Mackenzie added, “Nick and I never really plan for anything. We're very spontaneous. We feel like it adds life to the relationship.”

Nick's eyes locked on Mackenzie's fingers which were now intertwined with his. She was actually really good at improvisation. He was impressed. He smiled at Annie when he noticed she was looking at him, leaning forward so that his elbows were resting on the table top. “Yeah, your daughter is very good at just...going with the flow of things.” And Annie had no idea how true that statement was. 

Another wide smile came to Annie's lips when they confirmed that they didn't have plans for the weekend. “Well, then I insist that you stay here for the weekend. It'll give us all a chance to get to know each other.” Turning her attention to her husband, Annie asked, “Don't you think that's a good idea, Simon?” Again, she smiled when he nodded in agreement.

Panic gripped Nick tightly when Annie suggested they stay the weekend. “Oh, we couldn't possibly,” he argued, shaking his head. “We've already imposed enough. And we didn't even pack anything. We were just...swinging by so you could chat with Mac.” His eyes ticked towards Mackenzie when he used the same nickname her mother had given her, making sure it was okay that he did.

Shockingly, Mackenzie liked it when Nick used her nickname. Only people close to her were allowed to use that name, and Nick was definitely close. It was only right that he start calling her that now. “Yeah, Mom, thanks for the offer, but we have to get back. I mean, we didn't even pack any clothes.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Annie insisted once more, waving off her daughter. “Your room hasn't been touched since you left, sweetie. All of your clothes are still in your drawers right where you left them. And Nick, you can borrow some of Simon's clothes. You boys look to be about the same size. Or, if you'd feel more comfortable, I can wash your clothes while you're in the shower, that way you'll have them.”

It was painfully obvious that Annie wasn't going to take no for an answer. Nick wanted to run – grab Mackenzie and get to the car faster than Annie could blink, and just drive far away from here. Hell, the idea of teaching Mackenzie compulsion right now skittered through his mind, but he brushed it off. Nick knew there was no way in Hell Mackenzie would allow him to compel her mother. “Well, when you put it that way, how can we refuse?” he smiled, arm wrapping around Mackenzie's shoulders as he pulled her tightly against his side. He forced out a chuckle when Annie squealed in excitement, just barely holding back the urge to roll his eyes.

Before long, Mackenzie and Nick were settled in her old room, Annie having left them to get situated. What they needed situated, Nick had no idea since neither of them had been planning on staying here. “Well, your mom seems nice,” he complained, taking a seat on the bed. “She's forcing us to stay here, you know. Wanting to get to know me. Like she's making sure I'm not some kind of serial killer freak, or something.”

Mackenzie rolled her eyes when Nick complained about her mother. Sure, she was overbearing and pushy sometimes, but she really was a great woman. “It's not like that, Nick,” she assured him, shaking her head. “You're just...the first 'boyfriend' I've ever brought home. She's probably just excited. Don't think too much about it, okay?”

The fact that Mackenzie hadn't ever brought anyone here before had Nick's member twitching in his jeans once more. He quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind, instead focusing on Mackenzie. She didn't look too great – she needed to feed. Pushing himself off the bed, he closed the gap between the two of them. His hands moved to cup her face, his thumb gently tugging at Mackenzie's bottom lip to reveal her elongated fangs. “It's been hours since you last fed,” he reminded, onyx eyes searching Mackenzie's face. “You need to eat something.”

As soon as Nick closed the gap between them, Mackenzie couldn't fight her fangs as they elongated. His hands on her cheeks had heat running through her whole body, her eyes slipping closed when he tugged at her lip. “Y-Yeah,” she breathed. “I'm a little hungry.” Well, she was really hungry, but she was hiding it well.

Seeing Mackenzie like this turned him on. It made him want to act like his old self – to throw away everything and just give in to the monster inside him. That monster was begging him to take Mackenzie right now. After all, it was very obvious she wanted him as much as he wanted her. “Take what you want, then,” he ordered, keeping his eyes locked with Mackenzie's, challenging her.

She knew exactly what she wanted, but she wasn't about to take it – not everything, at least. Mackenzie wasn't a fool. She knew that Nick only meant take whatever blood she wanted, wherever she wanted it from. Otherwise, she would have had him on the bed in ten seconds flat, taking exactly what she wanted. No, he was only offering his blood at the moment. She wanted to drink from his neck, but she didn't want to get blood on his clothes. “Take your shirt off first,” she answered, returning Nick's challenge.

Again, Nick's cock twitched in his jeans when Mackenzie ordered his shirt off. He knew what she wanted, and he wasn't going to deny her. His hands moved to the hem of the Henley he was wearing, pulling the fabric off his body to reveal the well-muscled torso hidden underneath. The fabric slipped from his fingers to land forgotten on the floor, Nick waiting for Mackenzie to make the next move. “Now what?”

Once Nick's shirt was off, Mackenzie knew there was nothing holding her back now. Her hand pressed against the center of his chest, pushing Nick backwards towards the bed. The backs of his knees hit the mattress, causing him to fall onto the bed, one hand gripping Mackenzie's wrist so he remained in his seated position. Without thought, Mackenzie climbed on top of him, one hand fisting in his short-cropped hair before she yanked his head to the side, never losing eye contact. “Don't run away from me,” she whispered, her voice almost pleading.

Here, in this house, there was nowhere to run. Besides, it was kind of pointless now. Mackenzie was sitting on his lap – she could feel his hard length pressing against her, he was sure. The only reason he ever ran away was to hide – and to stop himself from going further. Mackenzie's parents being somewhere in this house was enough to stop him from trying to take this any further, he was sure. “I won't,” he assured her, his hand moving to slide up her back, not stopping until it was carded through her thick, brunette curls.”Bite me.”

Without hesitation, Mackenzie dipped her head, fangs sinking into Nick's tender flesh. A low moan escaped her when Nick's blood washed over her tongue and slid down her throat. It seemed like each time she got a taste of him, Mackenzie wanted more – like she was addicted to him.

An almost animalistic growl ripped from Nick's throat when Mackenzie bit into him. The hand in her hair tightened, pulling the newborn closer to him He needed more. “God, Mac,” he breathed, hissing in a mixture of pain and pleasure when her fangs tore at his already healing flesh. “Don't stop, baby, please?” he begged, his free hand moving to grip Mackenzie's hip.

Baby – she kind of liked that. Oh, she wasn't stopping. Nick was nowhere near the point where she had to be concerned about taking too much yet, so she had no intentions of stopping. Her nails dug into the soft skin on Nick's shoulder, leaving marks as the hand in his hair tightened its grip. Mackenzie didn't want Nick to move – she had him right where she wanted him, and she intended to keep him there until she was done.

Nick wanted to bite her. He wanted to sink his teeth into her neck and drink deep of her blood like she was doing to him. But he wouldn't – Mackenzie's first experience wasn't going to be in her childhood bedroom.

He felt the pull of unconsciousness tugging at him then. Mackenzie needed to stop. As if she could read his mind, Mackenzie pulled back, using the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her lips. That small action had Nick's body responding once more. “You're getting better at this,” Nick complimented, trying to focus on anything other than how good Mackenzie felt sitting on top of him.

“Thanks,” Mackenzie smiled, head dipping to hid the blush that covered her cheeks. Whatever was between them was getting stronger – Mackenzie could feel it each time she drank from Nick.

Now that she fed, Mackenzie realized just hot tired she was. Just looking at Nick, she could tell that he could use some rest as well. “So...I think I'm going to take a nap. You look like you could use one, too.” Unlike Nick's room at the mansion, Mackenzie didn't have a couch in here. “Um...no couch. I guess you're just going to have to sleep in the bed with me.”

It was a bad idea – Nick knew that. Everything inside him was screaming to run away and let Mackenzie sleep in her bed alone. But he'd promised that he wouldn't leave her, and he intended to keep that promise. “Okay,” he finally answered, licking his suddenly dry lips. “But I need to get cleaned up first.” When Mackenzie made no move to climb off him, Nick chuckled. “Mac, that means you have to get off me.”

Another deep blush flushed Mackenzie's cheeks as she made quick work of climbing off Nick's lap. “Yeah, right, sorry,” she mumbled, a small smile on her lips. As soon as Nick was out of the room, Mackenzie quickly changed into her pajamas, wanting to be comfortable. She'd change back when it was time for dinner, but for now, she was going to wear pajamas. Maybe she should pack some of her own clothes to take back to the mansion – she was getting tired of wearing whatever Nick had there, though whoever they belonged to did have style.

By the time Nick came back into the room, Mackenzie was already snuggled under the covers, her eyes instantly locking with his as he closed the door. He couldn't believe that he'd agreed to this. His body was still betraying him, and he knew that as soon as he climbed into that bed, there would be no hiding it from Mackenzie. Sighing, he crawled into the bed with her, allowing Mackenzie to throw the blankets over him once he was comfortable.

Mackenzie wanted to cuddle. It wasn't like they hadn't done it already once before, so she didn't think it would be a big deal. Then again, they'd both been drunk and neither one of them remembered going to bed the last time, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea. But she really wanted to. Finally, she just decided to take the risk, scooting so close to Nick that there was no space between the two of them as she rested her head on his chest.

When Mackenzie cuddled with him, Nick's who body tensed for a moment. However, when he got used to it, he actually kind of liked it, his body relaxing once more. Slowly, his arm wrapped around Mackenzie, pulling her just a bit closer. “Get some sleep,” he whispered, fingers gently carding through her hair.

It wasn't long before Mackenzie was pulled into sleep, Nick following shortly after her. Their bodies remained tangled together as they slept, and for the first time in weeks, Mackenzie didn't have nightmares about the night she had been attacked. 

**~~**

The weekend seemed to fly by – before Nick knew it, they were getting ready to go back to the mansion. Surprisingly, Annie was a pretty cool woman. He wouldn't mind having to spend time with her again in the future. And Simon was so laid back – he kind of reminded Nick of a more mature version of Connor, in a way. He was surprised that he was almost sad to be heading back.

“I'll be fast,” Mackenzie assured him as she pushed past him to get into her room before he did. She then rifled through her closet and found a suit case, quickly pulling open drawers and tossing articles of clothing into the bag. “I just feel more comfortable knowing that I have some of my own clothes in your room now. That way I don't have to keep borrowing those ones out of that dresser.”

A small smile came to Nick's lips as he watched Mackenzie pack her bag. Over the last couple of days, they'd gotten a lot closer. Nick slept with her every night, and he was upset that they were going to lose that potentially when they got back to the mansion. Perhaps he would suggest they sleep in the same bed there, too. “You did really well this weekend, Mac,” he complimented, not missing the blush that stole across Mackenzie's cheeks. “I'm actually impressed with how well you handled yourself around humans. Even when your mom cut herself, you didn't try anything.”

Slowly, Nick made his way to Mackenzie, cupping her cheek in his hand when he was close enough. “Your control is amazing. I've never seen anything like it.” His dark eyes searched Mackenzie's face, watching as her own eyes darkened and her fangs peeked through her lips. He loved that he could do this to her – at least he wasn't the only one feeling this way. “Maybe...when we get back, you won't have to be isolated to my room. Maybe we can go out sometimes. I'll teach you compulsion.”

As soon as Nick's hand was on her cheek, Mackenzie was lost. She almost missed it when he suggested that they go out every now and then because she'd been so lost in his onyx eyes. “Seriously?” she asked, biting into her bottom lip in an attempt to hide her excitement. “Nick, that would be great! I promise, I won't make you regret it!” 

Pulling away so Mackenzie could keep packing, Nick chuckled. “I'm sure you won't,” he assured her. “Get your stuff packed. We have a long drive.” While Mackenzie packed her belongings, Nick took the opportunity to peruse her room. Although they'd been staying here for the last couple of days, he hadn't actually taken the time to study his surroundings. Most of their time here had been spent outside playing sports or having cookouts. Really, the only time he'd been in here was when they were going to sleep, or Mackenzie needed fed, so he hadn't paid much attention.

Now, he was intrigued. A photo on the dresser caught his attention, Nick slowly gripping the frame and pulling it from its resting place. It looked to have been taken several years ago – Mackenzie looked so young in the photo. There, standing with her arm wrapped around an equally young woman. A young woman who looked exactly like Mackenzie. Twins? “W-Who is this?” he asked, unable to keep his voice from cracking.

Mackenzie zipped up her duffel of clothes just as Nick asked her a question. Her attention moved to the photo in his hand, taking it from him. “That's me and my sister,” she answered, staring fondly at the memory. “Madison. She, um...disappeared about three weeks after this picture was taken. We haven't heard from her since.”

Madison. Nick felt his blood run cold at the mention of his newborn's name. That explained why they looked so much alike. But Madison had never mentioned a twin sister – or a sister, even. When she'd talked about her family, it was only about her parents. He couldn't think straight. Everything around him seemed like it was moving in slow motion. Nick couldn't focus on anything – he hated it.

Vaguely, he remembered telling Annie and Simon goodbye. The older woman had scolded her daughter for being a stranger and insisted that they visit more often. Nick got into the car on reflex, just going through the motions. Mackenzie was eagerly waving goodbye to her parents, but Nick didn't. He was focused on the road. This new information was going to take some time to process – if he could even process it at all.


	8. Chapter 8

Nick was unusually quiet on the ride back to the mansion. It made Mackenzie very uncomfortable. He'd been acting odd ever since he saw the picture of her and Madison – Mackenzie was determined to get to the bottom of it.

She waited until they were back in their room at the mansion before she brought it up. “Is everything okay?” she finally asked, dropping her duffel onto the bed. “You've been acting weird since we left my mom's place.”

When Mackenzie asked if everything was all right, Nick finally looked at her. God, he couldn't stop thinking about Madison – he'd taken her away from Mackenzie. It didn't matter that he hadn't known about her – he'd still been the reason Madison vanished. “It's nothing,” he assured her with a shake of his head. “Don't worry about it.”

A small frown came to her lips when Nick told her not to worry about it. There was definitely something wrong, and she wanted to know what it was. “It doesn't seem like nothing,” she argued. “You've been quiet every since we left my parent's house. So, what's wrong. I know there's something.”

Suddenly, it occurred to her that maybe Nick was upset about the fact that they'd been acting all coupley the last few days. But he hadn't seemed upset while they were there. Actually, he'd seemed like he enjoyed it as much as she had. Then again, maybe she was wrong.

Again, Nick shook his head. “It's nothing, Mackenzie,” he assured her once more. He couldn't tell her what was really bothering him. Mackenzie would never forgive him for what he'd done! It didn't matter that he hadn't been the one to set the fire himself. He was still responsible for Madison's death. “Just drop it, Mac.” Nick started to head towards the bathroom so he could hide, only to be stopped when Mackenzie grabbed his wrist.

“Would it really be so bad being in a relationship with me, Nick?!” Mackenzie demanded, not releasing Nick's wrist. There was no way she was going to let Nick retreat to the bathroom where he always hid when he didn't want to deal with her. This was way too important for him to run away from. If this was about the way they'd been acting over the weekend, Mackenzie had a right to know.

Shock was clear on Nick's face at Mackenzie's words. Surely, she couldn't think this had anything to do with that. “What are you talking about?” he asked, pulling his hand away from her grip. This has nothing to do with this weekend.”

Without intending to, Nick just admit there was something wrong. “Okay, then what is it?” Mackenzie asked again. “And don't tell me nothing! I can tell something's wrong. You don't have to lie to me.” She hated that he thought he had to hide things from her. Honestly, Mackenzie thought they were closer than that.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that Mackenzie wasn't going to give up. “It's Madison,” he explained. “I knew her.”

When Nick mentioned her sister, Mackenzie frowned. “How?” she asked, wanting to know the story. Madison had disappeared over five years ago – her family had been convinced that she'd been kidnapped. Some stranger had just grabbed her one night and taken her away.

A deep frown came to Nick's lips when Mackenzie wanted to know more. “She was my girlfriend,” he explained. “We met a while back. She never told me that she had a sister – she only talked about her parents.” Biting into his bottom lip, Nick kept his gaze locked on the floor as he continued, “She convinced me to turn her. And I loved her, so I did.”

Time seemed like it stopped. Mackenzie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mind snapped back to when Nick told her about the person he'd lost. Madison – he'd been talking about her sister. “She's the person you lost?” she asked, fighting back tears when Nick just nodded in answer. “So...she's gone? My-My sister is dead?”

All of these years, Mackenzie thought her sister had been taken from her. That there was a chance that Madison would come back unharmed and tell them all exactly what had happened to her. Now, she was learning that Madison hadn't been taken – she'd just left. She'd willingly given up her family – given up Mackenzie – for Nick. Honestly, Mackenzie didn't know if she should blame Madison or Nick. 

The hurt on Mackenzie's face was clear when Nick finally drew his eyes off the floor to focus on Mackenzie once more. He wanted to pull her against him and never let go. To comfort her until the sad look on her face went away. But he didn't dare touch her. “Mac, I am so sorry,” Nick apologized, wanting to wipe away the tears that were now being shed.

“What happened?” Mackenzie demanded, needing to know. “Tell me everything. Nick, please, I need to know.” Her eyes locked on Nick's, pleading with him to tell her the truth about her sister.

She had a right to know – Nick knew that. He'd known this day was going to come. Sure, never in his wildest dreams did he think that it would happen like this, but he'd been prepared to tell Mackenzie about Madison one day. Apparently, today was that day. “Okay,” he whispered. “I'll tell you everything. Just...come sit down with me, alright?” When Mackenzie did as he asked, Nick felt a little better. Sighing, he told her everything that happened almost five years ago.

He'd been in love. She had been perfect. Long, brunette locks hanging down to the middle of her back and deep, soulful hazel eyes. Madison – her name just as beautiful as she had been. She'd known about him – what he was – and she hadn't cared. Most people would have been scared and run off, but not Madison. She wanted to know more. Of course, when you try to get information about vampires online, you get a whole bunch of fiction, so she had gone right to the source. For the first few weeks, it was constant questioning. Honestly, Nick felt a little like he was being interrogated. But soon she had everything she needed and she'd popped the question.

She wanted to be like him. Madison had done her research and she'd thought long and hard on the matter. She knew this is what she wanted. Nick was her one true love. And she knew that with him being a vampire, there was no way they could ever have a future together. She was going to age every year and become old and gray while he stayed the same. Before she knew it, she was going to be lying in a coffin flat on her back and Nick was still going to be Nick. The only way for them to truly be happy was for him to turn her. Of course, she knew the rules – knew that Nick was going to have to ask for permission and if he couldn't get it, then she was just going to have to deal with that somehow. Thankfully though, he'd gotten the go ahead and the transformation happened as soon as possible after that.

Nick had been on cloud nine when Madison had made the transformation. Sure, it was tough at times, but he was doing a good job with her. She needed to keep her bloodlust under control and Nick was teaching her the ropes. Everything was going well until he got pulled away from her for a day. That's when everything went to shit. 

William had needed his help on a supply run and Nick had reluctantly agreed. He hadn't left Madison alone for more than a few hours since she turned and he was a little weary about doing so at this stage. But she had been controlling everything well and excelling at all things. There was no need for him to be so worried about her. When Natalia offered to watch Madison and make sure she didn't step out of line, Nick was grateful for the help and immediately accepted it. After all, Natalia was his sire – there was no way she would betray him. 

At least that's what he thought at the time, anyway.

Unfortunately, he learned the hard way just how wrong he had been. When he got back, Madison was in chains and Natalia was pointing her finger saying Madison had gotten out of control and attacked someone. But she had been doing so well! Nick couldn't believe that his absence for one day had resulted in Madison going off the rails.

Because he was in such good ranks with the council, he was allowed to see Madison. He wanted her side of the story. “Baby, what happened?” he asked as he knelt down beside her, pain clear in his moss green eyes. “You were doing so well for me.”

As soon as Nick was beside her, Madison threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet. “Nick, I didn't do this. I swear! I would never hurt anyone. You know that!”

She was shaking. It made Nick sick. “Shhh...” he whispered, his hands running up and down her back in an attempt to calm her. “It's okay, baby. Just relax. What happened?”

“It was Natalia. She just snapped!” Madison explained, pulling back a little from Nick so she could wipe the tears sliding down her cheeks. “We were sitting in the bar and then all of a sudden, she was gone. I went out back to look for her and before I knew it, she tore a man's throat out. Natalia overpowered me and smeared his blood all over my face. I-I couldn't help myself, Nick. I fed off him. But he was already dead before I started drinking, I promise!”

Natalia – she had done this? But why? Why would his own sire betray him like this? She had told him on multiple occasions that she loved him and would never do anything to hurt him. He trusted her! “It's okay Madison,” he whispered, pulling her back into his chest. “I believe you. I'm gonna take care of this. I promise.”

Slowly, Nick stood, his whole body tense. None of this made sense. His own sire would betray him? It was unthinkable. There was a bond that was supposed to be shared between sires and their children – something unbreakable. But he knew Madison so well. There was no way she was lying to him about this. And he needed to defend her. If she was being wrongfully accused, he wasn't going to stand for this. She had been doing so well – she wouldn't have just snapped off while he was away. It just didn't add up.

When he reached Natalia, he gripped her arm roughly, tugging her away from the rest of the council. “What happened?!” he demanded, trying to make his expression as intimidating as possible. “You were supposed to watch her! To protect her! You promised me!”

“I was watching her!” Natalia answered, pulling her arm from Nick. “Watch your tone with me, boy. She got away from me – I took my eyes off her for one second and she was gone. There was nothing I could do. The boy was already dead by the time I found her in the alley. What did you want me to do, Nicholas? I couldn't lie to the rest of the council. There was no way to cover this up.”

Before Nick had a chance to answer, the head councilman came to their side. “Nick, your newborn broke the number one rule. You know what we have to do,” he explained. “There's no way around this. I'm sorry.”

No way around this? No – there had to be a way. “We don't even know the whole story!” Nick argued, turning his attention to the councilman. “We have two sides of the same story and it doesn't add up. You can't take her from me when you're not even sure she did anything!” He needed to plead his case. He couldn't lose her. “I know Madison, Jacob. She would never hurt anyone. I explained the consequences. I told her what would happen. And she has been doing so well controlling her bloodlust. I'll vouch for her. If we find out that she actually did this, I'll take the blame and I won't fight you when you're ready to hand out the punishment. Please?”

Jacob liked Nick – he really did. Nick was a good vampire. He always followed the rules and he was always there to help when they needed him. But if he allowed this girl to live, the whole balance of the vampire world would tilt. Others would start to think that they could run off a kill humans without repercussions. There would be chaos. And Jacob couldn't afford for that to happen. Placing his hand on Nick's shoulder, Jacob gave the young vampire a small, apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, Nick. You know that I can't allow this to slide by.”

For a second, Nick thought that Jacob was going to grant him his wish. But he soon learned that he was a fool. “No,” he whispered, shaking his head and pleading with his eyes. “Don't do this!” He tried to run for Madison but there was no use. Before he could even process what was happening, two sets of hands were on him, holding him back. Nick tried to fight – tried to get away from them but they were too strong. There were too many of them. 

Nick screamed in frustration as he fought to break free. “Let go of me! Madison! No!” His fangs elongated as he growled viciously, throwing off the vampire on his right side. Again, he growled when his free arm was once again restrained, fighting with everything in him to get away and save his lover. This wasn't right. He needed to protect her. Needed to save her. 

All fight left his body when he heard her pain screams fill the air. Her body went up in flames right in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Tears tracked down his cheeks as he fell to his knees, eyes glued to the burning embers that used to be the love of his undead life. His arms fell to his sides when they were released, Nick unable to think – unable to move. Madison was dead. She was gone. He had promised to keep her safe – promised that nothing was going to happen to her – and now this? How was he supposed to recover from this?

Several minutes passed by as Nick just sat there, staring into the nothingness that was his future. How could he survive without her? After she showed him what love was after he'd thought he lost it? Where did he go from here? Pain started in his chest and moved through his whole body, making him feel like he was dying. He wanted to die. 

A hand pressed against his chin, forcing his eyes away from the charred ashes. “Nicholas, baby,” Natalia whispered, keeping her gaze locked on his. “You have to get up. This needed to be done. Come with me, sweetie. Let me take care of you.”

Take care of him? Nick didn't want that. He didn't want anything to do with her. This was Natalia's fault! He'd trusted her to watch Madison and she hadn't. Hell, she had killed someone and blamed Madison! Nick would believe that story for the remainder of his time on Earth. Anger quickly boiled inside him, replacing his sadness for a brief period. Getting to his feet, Nick shoved Natalia away from him. “I don't want anything from you,” he spat, running his hands down his cheeks to wipe away the lingering wetness of his tears. “This is your fault! You killed that man! Madison told me everything before they took her away from me. And I will never forgive you for this.”

As he started to storm away, Natalia touched his arm, Nick quickly jerking back as though he had been burned. “Don't touch me! We are through! Stay the hell away from me or I promise you, you will regret it!”

Mackenzie felt like her world had been ripped out from under her. She didn't know what to feel right now. “Natalia?” she finally asked. “That's the woman who was staring at you during my interrogation?” She nodded along with Nick when he answered her. “She killed my sister?”

“Yes,” Nick answered softly. He felt so exposed – Mackenzie knew everything now. “I didn't know when I stopped them from executing you. I just...you looked like Madison, and I couldn't let them hurt you.” His hand moved to card through Mackenzie's hair then, not even really thinking about it as he did. “I'd never let anyone hurt you.”

A tear slid down Mackenzie's cheek when Nick confirmed that Natalia had killed Madison. She'd been in the same room with that woman – that murderer – twice now. She felt sick. Her head instinctively pressed harder against Nick's hand when he touched her, Mackenzie knowing that Nick was telling the truth. “I know you won't,” she assured him with a smile. “I just...I need to be alone for a little while. Please? I-I need to process all of this.”

Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, Nick knew that giving Mackenzie her space was the right thing to do. “Yeah, okay,” he breathed finally, pushing himself off the bed. “I'll, uh, go to Connor's for a bit. If you need me, just call me. I'll have my phone, okay?”

Only when he received the nod from Mackenzie did he leave the room. Connor barely had time to open the door before Nick was pushing his way inside, needing to speak to his friend. “They're twins,” he blurted out, moving to take a seat on Connor's couch as he held his head in his hands. “Mackenzie and Madison – that's why they look alike. They're twins!”

It didn't take a genius to see that this conversation was going to require some alcohol. Quickly, Connor headed to the fridge, grabbing a beer for both himself and Nick. Taking a seat on the couch next to Nick, he offered the other vampire the bottle, smiling softly when he took it. “So...twins, huh?” he asked, figuring that would break the ice. “How'd you find out about that?”

Before he answered, Nick took a long swig from his beer, sighing when it hit the spot. “Well, we went to her house this weekend,” he started. “Her mom was freaking out about her missing school, so we needed to make an appearance. It was supposed to be a quick stop to say hi, and then we were going to leave. But Annie insisted that we stay the weekend. So, we did.” Again, Nick took swig before he continued. “Well, when we were getting ready to leave, I saw a picture on her dresser of Mackenzie and Madison. She told me they were twins. And that Madison had disappeared about five years ago.”

Nick took another long pull from his beer, frowning when he realized that he'd already emptied the bottle. “She disappeared because of me,” Nick spat, hating himself for what he'd done. “I did this. I took Madison away from her family. And then I let her die. Everything bad that has happened to that family that's centered around Madison is all my fault! And then I went and got myself into this situation with Mackenzie now!” Shaking his head, Nick thought about all of the possible ways this was wrong. “If anything happens to her because I couldn't save her, then I ruined that entire family's lives.” And Nick actually liked Annie and Simon.

In all honesty, Connor wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle this situation. Usually, when something bad happened, he would make jokes to hide the fact that he just couldn't handle bad situations. “Oh come on, Nick,” he frowned when his friend went to that dark place that he hated so much. “You're not going to mess up with Mackenzie. You guys are doing really well, aren't you? I mean, she's learning how to feed, and you're making sure she isn't hurting people. And all is going great.”

When Nick just scoffed in answer, Connor frowned once more. “So, is it the fact that she's your ex-girlfriend's twin that's throwing you off?” he asked. “Because that's not weird. I've had my fair share of twins throughout the years.” Actually, he hadn't really met many twins, but sisters – he'd been with a few sisters before.

Frowning, Nick glared at Connor. “What are you talking about?” he asked, shaking his head. Now was not the time for Connor to be skipping down memory lane and telling Nick about his conquests. Nick was not in the mood right now.

“Dude, don't act stupid, okay?” Connor argued, returning Nick's glare. “I'm talking about how you're beating yourself up over the obvious feelings you've developed for Mackenzie.” Nick tried to argue, but Connor quickly cut him off, not in the mood to play games. “Don't try to deny it. I can see it every time I'm around the two of you. And I know you guys fell asleep together in the same bed that night we were all partying. Because when Stella and I left that morning, the two of you were snuggled up like little dirty bugs in a rug. So...I mean, if it's the twin thing, you gotta get over that.”

A small blush came to Nick's cheeks when Connor mentioned that he and Mackenzie had been in the bed together. That wasn't all they'd been doing the last few days. Mackenzie was basically using him as her only source of blood now, and Nick had every intention of doing the same with her once he had the chance. “It's not the twin thing,” he assured his friend finally. “I just...I didn't want to move on from Madison so quickly. Especially not with someone who had such a close resemblance to her. But no matter what I do, Mackenzie is always there – in my head, and I can't shake her.” 

Of course, none of that mattered now. “Not that any of it matters right now,” Nick continued. “Mackenzie knows everything about what happened with Madison. She's going to hate me. She'll never be able to forgive me for taking away her sister. For ruining her family like that.”

It was clear that Nick was spiraling right back to that dark place again. But Connor was not going to allow it. Not this time. “Madison asked you for that!” he reminded. “You didn't grab her and force her to become a vampire. She begged you to do it. And you loved her, so you couldn't say no to her, and you wanted to spend the rest of your undead existence with her, and blah, blah, blah, fairy tale shit. Only it didn't work out that way. You need to focus on what's right in front of you right now, man. And that's Mackenzie.”

Connor couldn't believe that Nick could be this dense sometimes. “You need to tell her how you feel about her. Because if you don't, then you might lose her. And then who is going to be here when you fall off the wagon and try to kill yourself again? Me, Nick – that's who. And I swear to God, if you make me go through that again – if you make me pull you out of that spiral again – I will make your existence a living Hell.”

He was being harsh. Connor knew that. But Nick was about to pass up something that could turn out great, and Connor wasn't going to sit back and watch it happen. He liked Mackenzie. From what he could tell, she was a pretty cool chick. Not that he hadn't liked Madison, but she was gone. And she wasn't coming back. Mackenzie was here right now – in the flesh – and Nick was too scared to do anything about it. “You won't know what she's thinking until you go tell her how you feel. And then you can talk about it, and have some chick flick moment, or whatever. But you are not going to pass up something that could be really good for you!”

When Connor was done yelling at him, Nick couldn't help but chuckle. Connor was usually all about jokes and making light of situations, so it was nice to see him step out and take a stand. And that's exactly what Nick needed to get his ass in gear. Connor was right – Nick hadn't forced any of this on Madison. She'd asked for it. And Nick couldn't be held responsible for that. Should he have taken better care of her? Yes, he should have. But he wasn't going to make that same mistake with Mackenzie. “Okay,” he finally answered, waving his beer bottle at Connor. “But I'm going to need a couple more of these.”

**~~**

By the time Nick made it back to his room, he was slightly buzzed. Connor had tried to help him get his speech right, but the other vampire hadn't done a good job. Not that Nick could blame him. After all, he didn't know Mackenzie very well – and Connor's impression of a female was just disturbing. So, Nick had just gathered his courage and left. Apparently, the plan was to “wing it” as Connor had suggested. Nick wasn't very good at that kind of stuff.

Then again, this whole time he and Mackenzie had been together, all he'd been doing was winging it. He hadn't planned on stopping the execution. Nor had he planned on offering himself up on a silver platter to feed Mackenzie. And he sure as hell hadn't planned on falling in love with the woman! 

“Mackenzie?!” he called out as he pushed the door open, taking a deep breath the center himself. However, there was no answer. Usually, when Nick was out, Mackenzie sat on the bed waiting for him to come back – today that wasn't the case. “Mac?” he called once more, heading to the bathroom to check if she was in there. Nothing.

Panic started to grip Nick tightly when he realized that Mackenzie wasn't in the room. But where could she have been? She didn't know anyone in this mansion other than Connor, and he had just been there. And Mackenzie had never been out of this room without Nick. What if she went out and got herself in trouble?! Nick knew he couldn't handle another Madison situation – it would break him.

Suddenly, it hit him. Mackenzie was on a mission – she was on the hunt. And he couldn't really blame her. Quickly, he turned towards the door, rushing out into the mansion with vampire speed. If Mackenzie was doing what he feared, Nick was going to need some backup.


	9. Chapter 9

Mackenzie didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that she was angry – very angry – and when Nick left the room, it hadn't gotten any better. She'd tried to watch TV, but that didn't help either. Nothing that she tried to do in order to take her mind off of the fact that her sister was dead did any good. So, she was left this angry feeling that she didn't understand. She'd never felt pure rage like this before. Honestly, it kind of scared her a little bit.

Before she even knew what was happening, she was out of Nick's room and in front of the double doors where she'd had her interrogation. This was her last known whereabouts of Natalia, so she figured it was worth a shot. She didn't know what she planned on doing, but she knew that she wanted Natalia to pay for what she'd done to Madison. If it wasn't for Natalia, her sister would be alive today. And that's not something that Mackenzie could just let her get away with. She had to do something. Her sister deserved justice.

Without another thought, Mackenzie pushed the doors to the chamber open, confidently strolling inside. She headed down the hallway and made the small right turn to where she'd met with the council, a pit forming in her stomach when she saw Natalia sitting in her chair. She looked so smug. Mackenzie wanted to knock the smirk right off her face. “Natalia, right?” she greeted, anger boiling inside her when the woman nodded. “I've been looking for you.”

Taking a step closer to the alter the elders sat on, Mackenzie explained, “I know what you did to Nick's newborn. Five years ago, you framed her for a murder she didn't commit, and you had her executed.” As her anger began to rise, Mackenzie became bolder, moving closer to Natalia even as the woman stood. “That was my sister, you bitch! You have no right to sit there on the council when you're a lying murderer!” Scoffing, Mackenzie spat, “You have no right to judge me and decide whether I live or die!Especially when the only thing fueling you is hatred and jealousy!”

Anger fueled Natalia as she jumped off the alter and onto the floor in front of Mackenzie. “You dare come at me – an elder – and make such accusations? You're a child! A flea! You're nothing!” Looking Mackenzie up and down distastefully, Natalia added, “I have nothing to be jealous of where you are concerned, girl. You could never amount to me.”

“Nick would beg to differ,” Mackenzie assured her, standing her ground although she was terrified. “Nick was in love with my sister. That's why you had her murdered. You were jealous that he didn't want you!”

Pain flared through Mackenzie's cheek and into her jaw as her head snapped to the side from the force of the blow that Natalia landed. “You know nothing of mine and Nicholas's relationship!” Natalia spat, backhanding Mackenzie across the opposite cheek. “And you would be wise to mind your tongue, little girl!”

As Natalia was about to land the next blow, Mackenzie raised her left hand and blocked it, using her right to land a solid punch to the bridge of Natalia's nose. When Madison had disappeared, Mackenzie enrolled in self defense classes – they were coming in handy now. While Natalia was recovering from the blow, Mackenzie kicked out, the sole of her foot smashing against Natalia's solar plexus, causing her to fall backwards. “Admit what you did!” she demanded, her breaths coming out of her in pants.

Quickly, before Mackenzie could land another blow, Natalia shoved her backwards, hard, causing the younger vampire to stumble and fall. She knew she had the upper hand – she was older, faster, and stronger. Even if Mackenzie knew how to fight, Natalia had been around much longer than Mackenzie had been. “What would you like me to say, Mackenzie?” she taunted, her dark chocolate eyes landing on Mackenzie. “That I killed that man at the bar that night, and then told everyone that your sister did it?”

Mackenzie was back on her feet now, wiping the dirt off her jeans as she glared at Natalia. “That little trollop came in here acting like she was hot stuff,” Natalia continued, keeping her eyes on her opponent. “She'd flashed her cleavage, batted those doe eyes, and made Nicholas fall head over heels. The boy was never really good with matters of the heart. But he was not hers to take. He was mine. I made him. He belongs with me!”

When Mackenzie rushed her again, Natalia was ready for it. She quickly shot her hand out, palm connecting with Mackenzie's sternum, forcing her to fall backwards again. “So, I was righting a wrong,” Natalia explained. “With his newborn out of the way, he could come back to his rightful place by my side. The poor boy believed me when I told him that I would take care of his child while he was gone.” A wide, malicious smile came to Natalia's lips as she reminisced, “Oh, I took care of her, alright.”

“You bitch!” Mackenzie spat, rushing Natalia once more. This time, she side stepped Natalia's attack and managed to kick her in the back, sending Natalia to one knee. Mackenzie's second attack was blocked once more, Natalia grabbing her leg and throwing her to the other side of the room. She could see stars when she turned onto her back, Mackenzie trying to focus on Natalia once more as pain radiated through her torso. “Is that your plan for me, too? Frame me for something I didn't do so you can get me out of the way?” 

A small chuckle escaped Mackenzie at her own words. “It won't matter,” she assured Natalia, slowly pushing to her feet. “Even if I'm out of the way too, Nick will never come back to you! He hates you! He wishes you were dust!”

Again, Natalia rushed Mackenzie, grabbing a fistful of her hair and bringing Mackenzie's head down to connect with her knee, smiling when she tossed the younger vampire backwards onto the floor once more. “The only one of us who is going to be dust, is you.” Natalia grabbed a sharp piece of broken wood on her way towards Mackenzie, twirling it in her fingers. “And Nicholas will come to his senses. After all, we have an eternity to wait.”

The headache Mackenzie had was starting to blur her vision. She knew that she was bleeding from a large gash in her forehead, and she probably had a few broken ribs, but she couldn't give up. A sharp gasp escaped her when Natalia gripped her hair once more, Mackenzie's eyes locked on the stake Natalia was holding. “What lie are you going to tell about my death?” Mackenzie asked, eyes locked with Natalia's.

Shaking her head, Natalia explained, “Oh, sweet thing, I won't have to lie about anything.” When Mackenzie tried to knock the stake out of her hand, Natalia slapped her arm away, using her foot to step on Mackenzie's palm and keep her hand secure before she gripped Mackenzie's long hair once more with enough force to yank her head backwards. “You came here looking for me. You attacked an elder. There was no reasoning with you. I did what I had to do.”

This was it. Mackenzie knew she was going to die. Thinking back, she knew she should have just stayed in Nick's room. But how could she? How could she just let Natalia get away with killing Madison? There was no way she could have lived with herself. “Go to Hell,” she spat in Natalia's face, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of begging for her life.

“Make sure you save me a seat, sweetheart,” Natalia snarled back, her arm raising over her head to land the killing blow.

Mackenzie squeezed her eyes closed as she waited for the pain of the stake being shoved through her chest. However, instead of feeling pain, she heard a snarl before she was released. Her eyes snapped open to see Nick throwing Natalia across the room, the stake she was holding clattering on the floor beside Mackenzie's head. Two other vampires rushed Natalia then, holding her back away from both Nick and Mackenzie. She recognized them as Jacob and William, two of the other elders who had been here during the interrogation.

She felt hands on her almost immediately, Mackenzie's eyes snapping away from Natalia to see who was grabbing at her. When she realized that it was Nick, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, burying her face in his chest as he held her tightly against him. 

Seeing Nick and Mackenzie like that had Natalia's blood boiling. “Unhand me!” she demanded, fighting against Jacob and William's hold on her. “I demand that this newborn be executed! She came in here and attacked me!” Her eyes darted from Jacob to William, and back when they didn't do as she demanded. “Trying to kill an elder is a crime, the last time I checked! Now do your jobs and lock that girl up!”

Without thinking, Mackenzie screamed, “You deserved it! You killed my sister!” All eyes were suddenly on her, making Mackenzie uncomfortable. “She is the one who killed that man in the bar five years ago!” Mackenzie explained to Jacob and William. “Natalia did it, and then blamed Madison! She's the reason she's dead!”

Jacob stared at the newborn while she spoke, realizing now why she bored such a great resemblance to Nick's child. “The allegations you are presenting to us have already been addressed,” he explained, a deep frown on his lips. “Nick fought for his newborn before she died. It was all hearsay. There was no evidence that she was innocent. Why should we believe it now?”

Suddenly, Mackenzie remembered that she'd had her cell phone recording this whole conversation. She'd come here looking for a confession, and she's gotten one. “I have proof!” she answered, reaching into her pocket and pulling the device from its hiding place. “I recorded the whole conversation. Listen to it if you don't believe me.” Handing the cell phone to Jacob, Mackenzie concluded, “She incriminates herself pretty early on. She even gives you her motive.”

When Jacob took the device from Mackenzie's hands, William gripped both of Natalia's arms behind her back so Jacob had use of his hands. He quickly pressed play on the recording. Sure enough, Mackenzie was telling the truth – Natalia admitted everything. He was disappointed in his fellow elder. As elders, and members of the council, they had taken an oath to protect the rest of the vampires in their clan. Natalia had broken that. And in doing so, she'd broken the number one rule of their clan – do not kill humans.

Angrily, Jacob turned towards Natalia, his fangs elongating in his rage. “I trusted you!” he snarled, barely stopping himself from attacking the other vampire. “I believed you when you came to me in tears, telling me the story of how Nick's newborn had broken our laws!” He felt like a fool. “Do you realize how many people have suffered for your obsession?!” That's all it boiled down to – Natalia couldn't let go of Nick, so that innocent girl had paid the price.

His eyes ticked to William, seeing the other elder was just as distraught as he was. “Get her out of my sight!” he ordered, retracting his fangs as he gained some semblance of control over his emotions. “I don't want to look at her anymore. I'll deal with her when I figure out what sort of punishment she will receive. Until then, put her in lock up!”

Natalia kicked and screamed as William pulled her away. She begged for Jacob to reconsider – to forgive her – but to no avail. Instead, Jacob turned his attention back to Nick and Mackenzie, handing Mackenzie her phone back. “What you did today was brave. Stupid, but brave.” His attention darted from Mackenzie to Nick, and back. “I am so sorry for the part I played in that young girl's death. I know that I can't bring her back, or erase the hurt that the both of you have gone through, but I am sorry. And I will make sure there is justice done for her.”

“Thank you,” Mackenzie whispered, a single tear tracking down her cheek. She'd done it – she'd gotten her confession, and the real killer was going to pay for her crimes. And yes, Mackenzie knew that it had been stupid, but she didn't care. Luckily, everything had worked out in her favor. Natalia was going to be punished, and right now, that's all that mattered.

Clearing his throat, Nick tugged Mackenzie back into his side tighter, the newborn having moved slightly when she took her phone back. “If you don't mind, Jacob, I'd like to take Mackenzie back to my room,” he explained, eyes locked with Jacob's. There, she was safe. He could check her injuries and make sure everything was okay. She was bleeding – Nick could smell it. Not to mention, she had blood on her forehead, and a deep purple bruise on her cheek. Of course, Nick knew that her wounds would heal, and the bruise would fade in a matter of minutes, but he didn't care. He wanted her out of here.

As soon as he received the nod from Jacob, Nick gripped Mackenzie's wrist and moved with vampire speed, slamming the door to his room once they entered. He kept his attention locked on the door for a moment, palms pressed flat against the cool wood as he tried to compose himself. “What were you thinking?” he finally asked, fingers clawing at the door in his attempt to keep himself glued to that spot.

It didn't take much to see that Nick was angry. And he had every right to be. Mackenzie wasn't supposed to leave the room first off, and she had. Furthermore, she'd gone to see Natalia and almost gotten herself killed. But she couldn't just sit here and do nothing. “I had to do something,” Mackenzie answered finally, standing her ground. “She killed Madison! She couldn't just get away with it, Nick!”

Unable to keep his attention on the door, Nick turned towards Mackenzie. “You weren't thinking!” Nick yelled, taking a step closer to Mackenzie. “That's the problem!” Now that he was facing her, he was reminded of the injuries she sustained in the fight. She looked like she had gone ten rounds with a brick wall and lost. Not that he was surprised – Natalia had always been a good fighter. 

Without another word, Nick walked into the bathroom and grabbed a wet wash cloth. When he came back into the bedroom, Nick ordered, “Sit on the bed. We need to get you cleaned up.” As soon as Mackenzie did as she was told, Nick got straight to work. First, he wiped the blood off her forehead, noticing that the gash was almost completely healed. Super healing was one of his favorite perks of being a vampire.

The cut on her forehead and the blood on her lip were the only two things Nick could see that needed tended to. “Are there any cuts anywhere else?” he asked, eyes scanning over Mackenzie's body. Of course, he knew that if there were any other cuts, they'd also be healed by now, but he wanted to be thorough. And cleaning wounds was a good way to keep his mind off the fact that he was angry. No – he was hurt – and scared. 

Shaking her head, Mackenzie tried to remember as much about the fight as she could. Nothing hurt anymore, so she assumed that there were no more injuries Nick had to worry about. She could clean blood off in the shower if there was any on her. It wasn't that big of a deal. “No,” she finally answered. “I'm okay. My body is practically healed already.” Chuckling, she tried to lighten the mood. “Vampire healing is a pretty nifty thing, huh?”

“You could have gotten yourself killed!” Nick reprimanded. He couldn't believe Mackenzie was trying to make jokes about this now. “I can't believe you would go after an elder and think for one second that you'd come out of it alive! And you left this room! You directly defied me!”

Anger bubbled up inside Mackenzie as Nick yelled at her like she was a child. “Well, I did come out of it alive!” she reminded, standing so that Nick wasn't towering over her as much. “And I didn't leave to make you mad! I didn't even really realize what I was doing until I was in front of those double doors and walking into that chamber! It was like I was moving on autopilot. And I got justice for Madison! She deserved it!”

While he could appreciate that the real killer was locked up now, he couldn't just let Mackenzie think what she did was okay. “The only reason you're still alive right now is because of me!” he reminded, hand slapping against his chest for emphasis. “What would you have done if I hadn't come in there and tossed Natalia off of you?! If I hadn't known where you were going and saved you?! You'd be nothing more than a pile of ash in that chamber right now!”

Mackenzie took another step towards Nick, trying to be as intimidating as her shorter stature would allow. “But you did!” she reminded. “So why are you yelling at me right now?! I'm fine! Natalia is locked up! We shouldn't even be focusing on this right now! It's done! Just get over it!”

Get over it? Nick wished he could. There were so many emotions running through him right now that he just couldn't think straight. It was like his body was coming down from a high – he'd been angry, scared, and hurt. And now he was relieved, happy, and angry at the same time. He wasn't used to this kind of stuff. “I'm yelling at you right now because I could have lost you while you were off being some stupid hero! If I hadn't gotten there when I did, you'd be dead, and I would be left here to deal with those consequences!”

He couldn't stop himself from spewing the next sentence, although everything in his was screaming to keep his damn mouth shut. “I can't just get over it because I'm in love with you!” Scoffing, Nick hung his head, giving it a shake. “I'm in love with you, and I almost lost you. How would I have been able to deal with that, Mackenzie.”

Shock was clear on Mackenzie's face when Nick blurt out that he loved her. It wasn't like she didn't know they'd had feelings for each other, but they were supposed to be fighting them. Nick hadn't wanted to pursue anything, so Mackenzie hadn't been trying. But now, he'd just laid it out in the open, and it was her turn to make a move. Without thinking, she surged forward, capturing his lips in a deep, passionate kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

A shocked gasp escaped Nick when Mackenzie kissed him. He didn't exactly know what he'd been expecting when he told Mackenzie he loved her, but it hadn't been this. Not that he was going to complain. Instead, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. One hand moved to card through Mackenzie's thick brown locks as he held her impossibly close, leaving no space between the two of them.

Mackenzie finally broke the kiss after a few moments, onyx eyes darting up to meet with Nick's equally dark ones. “I love you, too,” she breathed, eyes never leaving Nick's. She may have made the first move, but it was Nick's turn to decide where they went from here.

When Mackenzie revealed that she felt the same way about him, Nick smiled widely. “Good,” he smiled, leaning in to press his lips against hers once more. He'd been holding back for so long now, but he just couldn't anymore. Connor had helped him get it through his head that it was okay to move on. There was no reason for him to love a ghost for the rest of his undead life. It was time to let himself feel for someone again.

As Nick continued to kiss Mackenzie, she started walking backwards towards the bed, pulling Nick along with her. She'd never felt this way about anyone else before, and she was ready to take that next step with him. The way Nick was kissing her led Mackenzie to believe that he had no objections to her plans. 

The backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed and Mackenzie allowed herself to fall onto the mattress, pulling Nick down with her. His left hand pressed against the mattress beside her head, his right hand still holding her hip as they continued to kiss. “Ungh...Nick,” Mackenzie moaned as his lips trailed down her throat, sucking a bruise just above her collar bone. 

Her hands moved to card through Nick's hair as he continued to attack her neck, Mackenzie arching off the bed to allow him better access as she allowed her head to fall to one side. Nick knew what he was doing – Mackenzie's neck was sensitive, and he was working her over just right. Her body felt like it was on fire – Mackenzie needed more.

Gently, Mackenzie pushed Nick away from her neck, lust filled eyes locking on Nick's own. Her hands moved to grip the hem of Nick's shirt, pulling at the fabric. “I want this off,” she complained when the material wasn't cooperating with her, a small pout on her lips. 

Being able to actually kiss Mackenzie like this had Nick almost losing it. The smell of her blood was so strong this close – he wanted to sink his fangs into her flesh and taste that warm liquid running through her veins. When she pushed him back, he barely hid the groan of disappointment. However, when she pouted that way, he couldn't help but chuckle. His hands moved to the back of his T-shirt, pulling the clothing over his head and tossing it on the floor beside them.

Once his shirt was off, Mackenzie's hands moved to splay across his pectorals. Her finger nails dug into his flesh just this side of painful as she pressed herself closer to him again, neck bared for whatever he had planned for her. Again, his head dipped, attacking her neck once more. Mackenzie's fingers moved to card through Nick's hair, holding him in place.

Satisfied that he'd attacked her neck enough, Nick pulled back, his hands moving to the hem of Mackenzie's tank top before he pulled it off her. His head dipped once more, pressing kisses from her sternum all the way down to her belly button. Slowly, he glanced up at Mackenzie, eyes locking once more as he silently asked for permission to unbutton her jeans.

The button and zipper opened easily under Nick's skilled fingers, Nick tucking his thumbs into the waistband of both jeans and panties before he pulled the material down Mackenzie's long legs. He turned at the waist to add Mackenzie's clothes to the quickly growing pile on the floor. A small smile came to his lips when Mackenzie's fingers worked open the button and zipper of his own jeans, Nick helping her by wiggling out of them before he kicked them onto the floor as well.

Now that Nick was completely naked, Mackenzie could appreciate how attractive he was even more. She'd seen him without a shirt on before, but this was so much better. Her hand moved to wrap around his hard cock, squeezing gently as she watched his reaction. Although she'd never actually done this before, she knew the basic idea of how everything worked, so she was going to give it her best shot. 

Quickly, Mackenzie gave Nick a gentle shove, moving so that she was on top of him. She pressed her lips against his once more, trailing kisses from his lips all the way down to the soft curls just above his groin. Her hand gripped the base of his penis, mouth sucking in just the tip. Her eyes ticked up to meet his as she sank down a bit further, taking more of Nick into her mouth. The look on Nick's face had her believing that she was doing something right, giving her more confidence to continue.

She moaned around Nick's hard length when she the head of Nick's cock bottomed out against the back of her throat. Mackenzie waited a moment, allowing herself to adjust before she pulled almost off, tongue circling the tip of Nick's erect member before she bobbed back down again. Her hand chased her mouth, Mackenzie giving as good as she got in an attempt to make it good for Nick. 

If Mackenzie kept up her actions around him, Nick was never going to make it. He could already feel heat pooling low in his belly, and he didn't want this to stop so soon. “Mac...” he breathed, hand fisting in the newborn's hair as he gently pulled her off of him. “Stop...please.” When she did as she was told, Nick pulled her into another kiss, rolling them once more so that he was on top – he was back in control.

“Are you ready?” he asked, breaths panting out of him as he tried to hold back the urge to just take her without abandon. He nearly groaned in pleasure when he received the nod of approval, Nick grasping the base of his shaft and lining up with Mackenzie's entrance. He was slow as he pushed inside, fighting every primal urge inside him that was telling him to just let go. It wasn't long before he was fully sheathed inside Mackenzie's tight heat, Nick's head dropping to rest on her shoulder as he forced himself to stop moving so she could adjust.

After a few minutes, Nick trailed kisses from Mackenzie's neck to her cheek before pressing against her lips. “You can move now,” Mackenzie assured him, wiggling her hips experimentally. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. Nick was being gentle enough with her. 

Nick started the pace slowly, increasing with each thrust as Mackenzie's fingers dug into his back. He could smell her blood just beneath the surface, his fangs elongating with the need to taste her. “Can I?” Nick asked – almost begged – as his deep onyx eyes stared into Mackenzie's own equally dark orbs.

She nodded at the question, head turning to expose her jugular vein as her back arched off the bed to press closer to Nick. A soft gasp escaped her lips when Nick bit into her tender flesh, Mackenzie's fingers digging harder into Nick's shoulders where she was holding onto him. Her body responded positively to the bite, heat pooling low in her belly as she met Nick thrust for thrust. It wasn't long before she was falling over the edge, legs wrapped tightly around Nick's waist as she rode out the waves of her orgasm.

As soon as Mackenzie came, Nick was following suit. His fangs retracted as he sucked another bruise into Mackenzie's skin where he'd just bitten her. The wounds were already closed by the time he pulled back, Nick barely remembering to roll off of Mackenzie so he didn't crush her as he collapsed onto the bed beside her. 

Once Nick was lying on the bed beside her, Mackenzie rolled onto her side, throwing one arm over her lover. She was so tired. Her body was sore from earlier that day, and a little bit from hers and Nick's love making, she was sure. All she wanted right now was some sleep. “M'sleepy,” she mumbled, wiggling so that she was as close to Nick as possible as her eyes slipped closed. 

Surprisingly, Nick was tired as well. The stress of the day he'd had would do that to someone, he supposed. A wide smile came to his lips when Mackenzie cuddled up close to him, Nick throwing his arm around her protectively. It wasn't long before both he and Mackenzie were sleeping.

**~~**

Nick woke before Mackenzie, his eyes darting to the clock on the nightstand. He'd slept all morning. That was unusual for him. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to sleep for so many hours uninterrupted. But now that he was awake, he had work to do. As gently as he could, Nick worked his way out of the bed, careful not to disturb the still sleeping Mackenzie. She needed her rest.

After a quick shower, Nick headed out of the room, pressing a kiss to Mackenzie's forehead before he closed the door behind him. He didn't think too much as he made his way to the chamber where the council members usually spent their time. All he was focused on was talking to Jacob. They needed to discuss some things after the events of the previous night.

When the small redhead waved him into the room, Nick stopped just short of the alter where Jacob was seated. “So, have you decided what you're going to be doing with Natalia?” he asked, cutting right to the chase. He didn't know how long Mackenzie was going to be sleeping, and he didn't want to leave her alone for too long. Especially after last night.

Of course Nick was here in regards to Natalia. Honestly, they hadn't made a decision yet. She was a member of the council – an elder – and while what she had done was wrong, that didn't change her status. Killing her would potentially cause an uproar among the people – not to mention they would have to find someone to replace her. It wasn't like elders were easy to come by, either. “No, Nick, we have not decided on anything yet,” Jacob answered with a shake of his head. 

“Something needs to be done,” Nick demanded, not caring that he was acting somewhat rude in front of the head councilman. “She killed a human! Our rules are very strict about that!” Angrily, he reminded, “And although she didn't light the match to Madison, she might as well have killed her too with her false accusations! You can't just let her get away with that, Jacob!”

Although Jacob could appreciate that Nick was upset by this whole situation, that did not give him the right to speak to an elder like that. “I can assure you that the proper measures will be taken, Nicholas!” Jacob yelled, using Nick's full name to let the younger vampire know that he needed to mind his manners. Just because he liked Nick didn't mean he would let him speak to him as an equal on these matters. Whatever happened to Natalia was up for the council members to decide – no one else.

A small frown came to Nick's lips as he remembered that he was speaking to Jacob – he needed to mind his manners no matter how angry he was. Still, there was no reason he couldn't use this little mishap to his advantage. “What about Mackenzie?” Nick asked, eyes locking with Jacob's. They'd wrongfully murdered his newborn five years ago – there was no reason he shouldn't be able to bring something good out of that.

Now, it was Jacob's turn to frown. “What about Mackenzie?” he asked, wondering just what Nick was up to. Honestly, Jacob thought he had an idea, but he wanted to hear it from Nick directly. As the saying went, ask and you shall receive. If Nick was brave enough to make the proposition, Jacob just may be willing to grant him that request.

It was risky – Nick knew that. But he had to try. For Mackenzie's sake, he needed to at least try. Not that he didn't think Mackenzie could pass all of the trials on her own, but if he could get her out of it, then she wouldn't even have to worry about it. Wouldn't have to think about it anymore. “Well, I think that given the circumstances, she should be allowed out of her deal. No more hoops to jump through, no more worrying that she's going to be killed for the smallest thing – let her off the hook.”

Jacob couldn't help but admire Nick for being so brave. Usually, people didn't come to the elders demanding things be done. If they wanted something done, they'd ask for it – definitely not demand. Not Nick, though. It was a shame he didn't want to take his place on the council – Jacob knew he would make a fine addition to the group. “Is that so?” he asked, frowning down at Nick. “And why should we lift her responsibilities like that? Especially when she went off and attacked an elder like she did?”

Anger was rising inside Nick once more, but he trampled it down. “I think you mean she exposed a killer,” he corrected. “Something that no one else over the span of five years has been able to do. We all just sat back and went about our lives when Natalia should have been the one to go up in flames that day. Not Madison! My newborn was wrongfully murdered, and I don't want to see it happen again! Therefore, I want Mackenzie out of her deal. I want her safe from harm.”

Again, Jacob frowned at Nick. What he was proposing seemed reasonable enough. One newborn's life for that of another as far as Jacob could see it. And he had no problem giving that to him. After all, they had been wrong when they murdered Madison – he wasn't afraid to admit that he'd made a mistake. For five years, that mistake had haunted him. He'd seen how much it had changed Nick. And now, it seemed like Nick was getting back to being happy again, and he wasn't going to strip that from him. “Fine,” he answered. “Mackenzie can be out of her deal. Just know that if she doesn't follow our rules, she will be subject to execution just like any other vampire in this clan.”

For a second, Nick couldn't believe that Jacob was actually going along with his suggestion. “Really?” he asked, a wide smile coming to his face when Jacob nodded in answer. “Thank you! I promise I won't let her do anything out of line! I'll make sure she's a model vampire, and you will never have to worry about seeing us in this room again.”

Before Jacob had a chance to change his mind, Nick headed out of the chamber. He needed to get back to his room and tell Mackenzie the good news. 

**~~**

Mackenzie woke up alone in the bed, a small frown on her lips as soon as she realized Nick was no longer with her. “Nick?” she asked, looking around the room. When she received no answer, her frown deepened. Not only was she alone in the bed, but apparently Nick had left the room. Fear gripped her tightly as her mind raced with thoughts about how Nick didn't want her anymore now that he'd gotten what he wanted.

Quickly, Mackenzie pushed those thoughts from her mind, shaking her head as she got out of the bed. She needed a shower. After getting her ass kicked by Natalia and then having sex with Nick, she smelled like a locker room. Not to mention there was dried blood on her torso that she needed to take care of. She made quick work of getting her hair and body clean. There was no need to take a long shower. She had things that needed to be done today. Nick needed to teach her compulsion and he needed to feed from her in order for her to pass the next stage of the trials. And Mackenzie was going to make sure he didn't put it off until the end of the week like last time.

Just as Mackenzie walked out of the bathroom, Nick closed the door to their room. “Hey,” Mackenzie greeted, her hand moving to grip the knot in her towel tightly. All of a sudden, she was feeling very self conscious about him seeing her in so little clothing. “Where did you go?” she asked, biting into her bottom lip as she waited for his answer.

“Hi,” Nick greeted, a wide smile on his lips as his eyes raked over Mackenzie's form. He couldn't help but remember the night before, and how good Mackenzie's body had felt against his. “I, uh, I was with Jacob. I wanted to check in and see if they'd come to an agreement on what to do with Natalia now that they know what really happened.”

Curious, Mackenzie took a step closer to Nick. “And?” she asked, not wanting to be left in suspense. “Did they decide that she needs to die for what she did? Because that's what those bastards did to my sister for killing a human. And what they've been threatening to do to me for the last ten days if I didn't jump through all of their stupid hoops.”

Although Nick wished he had better news about Natalia, he wasn't going to lie to her. He just hoped that the other news he was going to give her would outweigh the bad news. “They haven't decided yet,” he frowned, tossing his jacket onto the arm of the couch. “But...I did manage to get him to agree to let you off the hook.”

Confusion was clear on Mackenzie's face at Nick's words. “Get me off the hook?” she asked, not sure what he was talking about. “Was I in trouble for trying to kill Natalia? Because I thought we cleared that up when Jacob heard the recording on my phone.” Frowning, Mackenzie asked, “Should I be worried?”

Shaking his head, Nick explained, “No, you shouldn't be worried. About anything. I asked Jacob to let you out of your deal with them in light of this new information, and he agreed to do it. That means no more hoops to jump through. No interrogations, no learning whatever they want you to learn otherwise they kill you. You're free from them.” Smiling, he added, “I mean, as long as you follow the general rules of the coven. You don't have to worry about that 30 day deadline. You're free to do whatever you please.”

Now that Nick explained that a little better, Mackenzie couldn't hide her excitement. “I am?” she asked, a wide smile on her lips. “No more interrogations? And I don't have to learn things just to please them?” Her smile only widened when Nick nodded in answer. “Oh my God, Nick, that's great!” Without thinking, she threw herself into Nick's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a tight embrace. 

When Mackenzie realized what she'd done, she quickly pulled back. Those menacing thoughts were coming back from this evening when she woke, making her feel uncomfortable around Nick once more. “Um...thank you,” she smiled. “For everything. You didn't have to talk to them about getting me out of this, but I'm happy that you did. And...you know, for getting me through that first interrogation. And...well, everything that you did for me during these last ten days.”

Nick cupped Mackenzie's cheek when she pulled back, smiling at the newborn. “You don't have to thank me,” he assured her, thumb stroking her skin softly. “You never asked for any of this. And you sure as hell didn't deserve to die for it. I was only doing what was right.”

“So...” Mackenzie started, her face melting into Nick's palm without her even realizing it. “What happens now? I-I mean...after last night. What...did that mean to you?” She knew what it had meant to her, but she needed to make sure Nick was on the same page. If he wanted to leave her – or for her to leave his room, as was more accurate – then she wanted to rip the band-aid off quickly. She didn't want to sit around here falling harder for him if in the end, he was just going to end things between them.

A deep frown came to Nick's lips when Mackenzie brought up last night. He didn't think he would have to explain what it meant, but if that's what she wanted, he would do so. “Um...I mean, I don't know what happens now,” he answered with a shake of his head. “It's up to you, I guess. You can stay here...with me, or if you want to leave, I can't stop you. I wouldn't stop you.” Biting into his bottom lip, Nick softly explained, “But...I wish you'd stay.”

Finally feeling like she was able to breathe again, Mackenzie smiled as she nodded. “Good,” she answered. “Because I want to stay here. With you.” She felt heat rising to her cheeks, staining them red. “After last night, I guess I kind of consider you...my boyfriend. I mean...unless you sleep with random women all of the time after telling them that you love them. Which, would be weird, and I hope you don't do that.”

Unable to keep his laughter at bay, Nick shook his head, pulling Mackenzie into a kiss. When the kiss broke, he assured her, “No, I don't sleep with random women after telling them that I love them.” Nick was never one to have casual sex. Sure, he knew that nowadays it seemed like that's what people were into, he had never followed suit. Other vampires had conformed to that lifestyle to blend in – like Connor – but Nick hadn't. “I just wanna be with you.”

Her tongue darted out to lick her suddenly dry lips when Nick assured her that he just wanted to be with her. “Good,” she smiled again, leaning in to crush her lips against his once more. “Because I've been told that I can be the jealous type.”

Again, Nick laughed at Mackenzie's words. “I've been told that I have problems sharing,” he explained, walking Mackenzie towards the bed. “As far as I'm concerned, you're mine. And I don't play well with others.” When they were close enough to the bed, Nick gently pushed Mackenzie onto the mattress, blanketing her body with his own. His tongue dart out to lick her lips before he asked, “Are you okay with that?”

The only answer he received was Mackenzie crushing their lips together once more, Nick offering her seeking tongue access as soon as he felt it tracing the seam of his lips. His fingers gripped the towel around Mackenzie's torso, pulling it off her body as her hand gripped his shirt. His arms shot up to make it easier for her to get his shirt off before he leaned in and pressed their lips together once more, moaning into the kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

Usually, Nick hated these things. They were ritualistic, and crude, and he still didn't believe in killing their own kind because there weren't many left of them. But today, he felt as though it was justified. Today, Madison's murderer was going to finally get what she deserved after five long years. The council had decided that Natalia needed to be executed for her actions. Killing humans could never be pardoned – not when there were slayers trying to kill them every day, and dead humans could lead them right to the clan.

It had taken a few days for the decision to be made. Nick had gone to Jacob almost every day to plead his case – Natalia deserved to die for what she had done. Madison hadn't had a pass, and she had been innocent. There was no reason for Natalia to be let off the hook either.

When they finally announced that she was to be executed, she only had one request. She wanted to see Nick one last time. And since she was about to die, they didn't deny her that simple request. Jacob had gone to Nick and asked that he see her before she was sentenced to death. It had taken a little bit of convincing, but he finally agreed.

“Nicholas,” Natalia greeted, a small smile coming to her faded red lips. She looked awful. They'd been starving her while she was here to keep her strength down in case she tried anything. “I'm so happy you came. I wanted to apologize for the part I played in your newborn's death.” Her eyes locked on the floor as she continued, “I was jealous. You wanted her and you didn't want me. You never looked at me the way you looked at her, and I wanted that. I figured if she was out of the picture, I could come in and comfort you, and then you'd look at me the way you looked at her.”

Her eyes ticked back up to Nick's. “I just wanted you to be with me. It's all I've wanted since the night I turned you. And I went about it the wrong way. I see that now. Do you think you could ever forgive me?”

Forgive her? Nick had spent the last five years in misery because of her, and she wanted his forgiveness? He'd heard people say when someone is about to die, they lose their minds, so he assumed this is what was happening to Natalia right now. “No,” he answered with a shake of his head. “You took everything from me that day. And then you were going to do it again when you attacked Mackenzie. I don't care if you're sorry for it now – it's too little too late.”

A small frown came to Natalia's lips when Nick refused her apology. “It's never too late to apologize,” she assured her child. “When I'm gone, you're going to be sorry that you treated me this badly when I was just trying to make amends. Surely, somewhere deep inside you, there has to be some sort of feeling left for me. I mean, when you were first made, we had a real good time, didn't we Nicholas?” Her hand moved to lay on his arm, a devilish smirk coming to her lips at the memory.

As soon as Natalia's hand was on him, Nick brushed it off. He didn't want her filthy hands anywhere near him. “There is feeling left,” he assured her. “Hatred. Disgust. Loathing. Those feelings are loud and clear.” Leaning in, he locked gazes with his maker for the last time. “And the only thing I'm sorry about is that I won't be the one killing you myself.”

With that, Nick turned on his heel and headed towards the exit. He could hear Natalia screaming after him to come back, but he refused. He'd said all that he needed to say. There was nothing Natalia could say or do to make him forgive her. Nick would never forget what she did, and he would never forgive the part she played in Madison's death.

“Natalia, do you understand that you have broken a law, that has been set forth by our superiors, to keep our race alive?” Jacob asked his fellow council woman, glaring down at her when he received a nod in answer. “Any last words, my friend?” His voice was sad – he didn't want to have to do this, but rules were rules. Natalia had murdered an innocent human being and then blamed it on someone else – he had no choice other than this.

Her eyes searched the crowd until they finally landed on Nick. He was standing there with Mackenzie just watching. Much to her horror, he looked happy. Then again, she couldn't blame him, she supposed. She just wished that he would have been able to forgive her. “I've said all that I need to, Jacob darling,” she answered, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

At Natalia's words, Jacob's frown deepened. His eyes slid closed as he waved to the executioner, letting him know he could light the match. Natalia's body shot up in flames, her screams echoing off the walls in the chamber. It wasn't long before she was nothing but a pile of ash on the floor. Jacob couldn't dwell on it, however. He had work that needed to be done – Natalia's position on the council needed to be filled as soon as possible. 

When Natalia was set on fire, Nick felt a sense of relief wash over him. Finally, after so many years of feeling nothing but hatred for her, Natalia was gone. Nick could just forget about it all now. He didn't have to spend his time trying to dig up the truth and show the council that they had been wrong. Now, he could just focus on his future. He could focus on where his and Mackenzie's relationship was going. Finally, he was free.

His arm wrapped more tightly around Mackenzie when he realized that she was crying. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned that this execution may have been a little too much for her. He remembered his first execution – he'd actually kind of liked it, though. Mackenzie was soft at heart, and kind – she probably took no pleasure in watching someone die. Not to mention that she may have been having flashbacks to when she had almost been torched on that very stage.

Nodding, Mackenzie tucked her body against Nick more tightly. “Yeah, I'm fine,” she assured him. “I was just thinking about Madison. She can finally rest in peace now that she knows her killer has finally met her fate.” glancing up at Nick, Mackenzie added, “Natalia got exactly what she deserved.”

Now that Mackenzie mentioned it, there was a sense of closure to Madison's death. The real killer had been brought to justice, and both he and Mackenzie could move on from the horrible experience now. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to Mackenzie's gently. “Let's get out of here,” he suggested, taking her hand and pulling her from the chamber.

**~~**

Eleven Months Later

A loud shriek from behind her caused Mackenzie to tense seconds before someone was pressing against her shoulders, tugging her into a small hug. “We did it!” Adrian squealed happily, shaking Mackenzie for emphasis. “We are finally graduating! Can you believe it?! So many years of school, and we're finally finished! On our ways to becoming actual, real life doctors!”

Adrian's excitement was a little over the top as far as Mackenzie was concerned. Not that she wasn't happy to be graduating, but there was no guarantee they were going to become doctors. There was still the internships, and the week from Hell, and residency – they had a long way to go before they got that white lab coat. “I thought we weren't going to be focusing on the future tonight,” she complained, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. “Tonight, we're just focusing on getting drunk, and having fun. We deserve it!”

She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips when she saw the text message from Nick. Hey baby. Just wanted to let you know that Jacob needs me for some “official council business” at 3. But I will be over right after with Connor and Tracy for the drinks tonight. I told them they could crash at your apartment so they don't have to drive drunk. Hope that's OK. Love you, baby. There was a kissing emoji at the end, which only made Mackenzie smile wider. She loved it when Nick was all cute.

Quickly, she sent a short reply letting him know that it was fine if Connor and Tracy stayed on the couch, and that she loved him too. She rolled her eyes when Adrian asked if she was texting Nick, tucking her phone back into her pocket. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am,” she answered. “He might be at my apartment a little later than expected tonight, but that's fine. We can start drinking without him. Did you invite Cassidy and Darren?”

All of her friends loved Nick. They'd met him about four months ago at a social event, and they'd all been thrilled that the two of them were dating. They even made jokes about how Nick was some kind of wizard because he'd been able to loosen up Mackenzie a little bit. Now, she went to almost all of the parties that were thrown, and she didn't turn down the opportunity to have a night out with the girls like she had in the past. Little did they know, they actually had a dead vampire to thank for that, but she wasn't going to spoil Nick's moment.

“Did you tell me to invite Cassidy and Darren?” Adrian asked, rolling her eyes. When Mackenzie nodded, she smiled. “Then of course I invited them. Geez, I can follow simple instructions.” Biting her bottom lip, Adrian added, “And I invited my friend David too, so I hope that's not a problem.”

Again, Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “Of course that's not a problem!” she assured her friend. She'd seen David around campus a few times. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Of course, tonight was going to be the test of that. Seeing how someone behaved in a social setting where there were drinks involved was the ultimate tell. So far, from what Mackenzie knew of him now, she approved of Adrian being with him. But Adrian was her best friend, so further analysis needed to be done.

Once they were at her apartment, the girls started getting everything ready. Nick had gone out with Mackenzie the night before to purchase a large amount of alcohol, which Mackenzie placed in a large cooler. The left over bottles and cans, she had in the fridge for when the stock needed replenished. They'd also gotten chips and dip, as well as pretzels and peanuts. They thought it would be good to make a bar setting, since they all had opted to stay in tonight.

As soon as everything was set out, Mackenzie headed to the bathroom. She needed to shower and do something with her hair before everyone got here. She allowed her hands to comb through her long brunette locks as the water cascaded over her, the warmth seeping into her skin. She'd liked hot showers before she was a vampire, and now, she loved them even more. She was always so cold all of the time now – more so than when she had been human. Snuggling with Nick helped, but when he wasn't around, she only had the hot spray to keep her company. 

A wide smile came to her lips when she felt someone step into the shower behind her. Strong hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a well-muscled torso. Mackenzie's head tilted to the side, offering access to her neck. “Mmmm...you're here earlier than I thought you'd be,” she smiled. “Everything okay in the land of the council?”

Nick loved the way Mackenzie just melted into him. She didn't even have to turn to see it was him – she just knew. His lips brushed against her neck when she tilted her head, Nick's eyes growing impossibly dark as his teeth ached. “It's fine,” he assured her, allowing his fangs to elongate. “Don't really wanna talk about that right now.” Again, he brushed his lips against her skin, sucking a bruise into the tender flesh. “Can I?” he breathed as he pulled back.

“You don't have to ask,” Mackenzie assured him. She'd told him so many times before that if he wanted to drink from her, all he had to do was tell her so she was ready for the bite. But he always asked first. It was kind of cute. 

She couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her when Nick's fangs tore into her flesh, Mackenzie's body sinking back further against Nick's. If it wasn't for the grip he had around her waist, she was sure she would have fallen as pleasure worked its way throughout her entire body. She watched with fascination as the blood mixed with the water and slid down her body. Using the grip she had on Nick's hand, she pulled it towards her lips, sucking his index finger into her mouth as her eyes slid closed.

Now, it was Nick's turn to bite back a moan. Mackenzie knew he loved it when she sucked on his fingers – she was doing this on purpose. They didn't have time to have sex. All of their guests were here. She was teasing him. Pulling back, Nick licked a stripe from Mackenzie's shoulder to her ear, smiling when her bite wound healed. “You're being mean,” he complained, pulling his hand away from Mackenzie's mouth.

Chuckling, Mackenzie turned to face Nick. “And you're not?” she pouted, giving him a playful glare. “You're the one who got into the shower with me.” Not that she minded. She didn't mind at all. She was just proving a point.

While that statement was true, Nick wouldn't let Mackenzie win that easily. “I couldn't help myself,” he confessed. “Adrian told me you were in here and I just had to see for myself.” Leaning in, he pressed his nose into Mackenzie's wet hair. “I could smell you from the hallway. I figured you might want some company.”

At Nick's words, Mackenzie blushed. Gently, she pushed Nick backwards, shaking her head. “Yet, you're not going to do anything about it.” Turning off the water, Mackenzie chastised, “You're going to have to make up for that later when everyone leaves.”

Another smile came to Nick's lips as he stole the towel Mackenzie was using to dry herself off. “Don't I always take care of you?” he asked, using the towel to dry himself off before handing it back to his lover. “But you'll have to wait until Tracy and Connor leave. I'm not letting you take advantage of me while they're in the room.”

Again, Mackenzie laughed, wrapping the towel around her torso. “Like I ever take advantage of you,” she challenged. “Get dressed. We're late for our own party.” Rolling her eyes, Mackenzie headed into her bedroom to get dressed and dry her hair. Being late for a party that you were hosting was so embarrassing. But she had faith that Adrian was keeping everyone company.

The rest of the night went by in a haze of alcohol, munchies, loud music, and dancing. Mackenzie noticed that Connor and Tracy actually looked really cute together. They'd started dating a couple months ago, thus making Tracy the longest relationship Connor had been in for quite a while. Not that she was surprised. When she'd first seen the pair together, she knew that them dating was inevitable. Nick had laughed her off, but she had the final laugh when they announced their relationship.

All in all, everyone was having a great time. Cassidy and Darren headed out earlier than anyone else because they had to pack up and leave for early flights in the morning. Mackenzie thanked them for coming and wished them luck on their new locations. Of course, she also told them not to be strangers. Just because they were all graduating from college didn't mean they had to stop talking to each other.

Adrian and David were the next ones to leave. The party was winding down and Adrian had allowed herself to consume more alcohol than her body could take. She was most definitely drunk. David assured them that he would take her home and make sure she was inside safely before he went home himself. And it wasn't that Mackenzie didn't believe him, but she felt a lot better about the situation after she compelled David to be a gentleman with her drunk friend.

Now, it was just Connor, Tracy, Nick, and herself. They all continued to drink until Tracy finally passed out. Nick and Connor were arguing about something that Mackenzie hadn't been paying attention to as they sat on the couch together. Watching her friends, Mackenzie thought back on everything that had happened to her in the last year. When she'd first found out she was a vampire, she had been mortified. She was sure there was no way she could handle it. But now, she was kind of loving it.

She had everything she'd wanted – an answer to what had happened to her sister, a medical degree, great friends. And she had Nick. She hadn't even known she wanted Nick, but now that she had him, she wasn't willing to ever let him go. Maybe this whole vampire thing was in fact the best thing that could have ever happened to her.


End file.
